Morero says the city has disconnected at least three informal settlements that were connected illegally, which will help ease water demand.
The City of Joburg (CoJ) plans to procure 20 water tankers to add to the 20 already in its ownership.
This was according to Mayor Dada Morero, who briefed the media on the city’s water turnaround strategy on Monday.
Morero said the existing fleet has reduced contractors’ costs, and the next lot will do so even further because some of those costs are now internalised.
His statements come just weeks after the city launched an internal investigation into allegations that some of its employees received payments for what is meant to be a free water supply via tankers.
The mayor – who survived a motion of no-confidence in June – said the turnaround strategy is about getting the basics right, strengthening governance, stabilising water supply, and restoring confidence in the city’s ability to deliver reliable water services.
‘Accountability and efficiency’
Providing an update on governance and financial reform, Morero said one of the most significant developments is the ring-fencing of Johannesburg Water, its water and sanitation utility, as a trading entity.
“This reform is supported by the Presidency and National Treasury, and will ensure greater accountability and efficiency in how we manage water resources and finance – especially of entities like Johannesburg Water,” he said.
“So, from 1 July 2025, we started a process when Johannesburg Water officially took over what we call the revenue and billing function from the city.
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“I’m pleased to indicate that we’ve seen at least some significant improvement since… with meter reading, which has now slightly increased to about 92% [in August] from 91% [in July].”
Morero said this would hopefully increase to 95% by the end of the year.
He further said the city is establishing a new customer management section to handle all billing queries, aiming to respond within 30 days.
Water demand interventions
According to Morero, the water demand initiatives the CoJ implemented have yielded a daily drop of 90 megalitres (ML), from 1 792ML to 1 702ML per day.
The initiatives include leak detection, pressure management and community awareness programmes.
In addition, the CoJ has installed “225 noise loggers to detect leaks automatically and deployed about 51 smart pressure controllers to regulate night-time flow and reduce wastage”.
Morero said the city is continuing enforcement, having disconnected at least three illegally connected informal settlements so far.
There are more disconnections planned in collaboration with law enforcement entities, the mayor added, which will help ease the already high water demand.
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Infrastructure rehabilitation
On the infrastructure front, the CoJ is prioritising the rehabilitation of critical reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants.
“Construction is underway at Hursthill 2,” Morero said, while Meadowlands, Dunkeld and Aeroton are expected to have their turn in November.
“At the same time, our wastewater treatment plants, Olifantsvlei and Bushkoppies, have been completed [with] major upgrades, while Goudkoppies is now at 95% completion.
“These projects improve our ability to store, treat and distribute water more efficiently across Johannesburg.”
The city is also constructing new water towers and reservoirs in key growth areas such as Blue Hills, Limbro Park, and Bryanston.
And in the Westbury and Coronation area, the CoJ has drilled boreholes in at least four schools, in partnership with the University of Witwatersrand-owned Wits Enterprise, Morero said.
“The progress we are reporting today is a result of teamwork across all spheres of government – Joburg Water, the Presidency, National Treasury and of course, Rand Water.
“We still have challenges, but we are confronting them with agency, transparency and accountability.”
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