Residents in parts of Johannesburg say they are exhausted by persistent water disruptions that have turned everyday life into a constant struggle, with some households forced to rely on donations and costly alternatives just to cope.

In Melville, 63-year-old resident Louise Renton described living on the edge as the water supply fluctuates unpredictably throughout the day.

Read more: Emmarentia residents bear the human cost as Johannesburg’s water crisis drags on

“I’m tired of the uncertainty,” she said. “You don’t know when the next outage is going to be. You live on this constant and perpetual edge, wondering, are you going to be supplied?”

Renton explained that routine tasks — cooking, cleaning, gardening, even taking a shower — have become logistical challenges shaped by the availability of water. With arthritis in her back, she says carrying buckets to keep her garden alive has become physically demanding and emotionally draining.

“We signed up, and we pay for water,” she said. “Why are we not getting the service that we pay for?”

Although her household sometimes receives free water from a nearby mosque, Renton estimates that her family of three spends between R100 and R150 a week on water-related costs. As a pensioner, she says this is money she never planned for.

“At the end of the month, my account comes in, and I’ve got to cover for that,” she said.

Water activist and WaterCAN executive director Dr Ferrial Adam warned that the crisis reflects deeper structural problems in the city’s approach to water management.

She said authorities are treating disruptions as isolated incidents rather than symptoms of systemic failure, while the absence of a ring-fenced budget dedicated solely to water and sanitation is worsening the situation.

“Until they have that, this is what’s going to happen,” Adam said. “It’s going to be fighting fires and not actually dealing with the issues that need to be dealt with.”

She added that the city must urgently speed up the process of ring-fencing funds and strengthening technical capacity to prevent a prolonged or worsening crisis. “We’re in a crisis,” she said. “If they do what we’re saying they must do now, I think we can avoid a worse crisis where this just becomes the norm.”

Also read: Johannesburg Water warns of lack of water supply as repairs on Hursthill 2 reservoir begin

In a statement posted on X on February 8, Johannesburg Water said it is aware of ongoing supply challenges affecting areas supplied by the Hursthill 2 reservoir.

The utility said earlier investigations conducted before February 6 were inconclusive, partly due to Rand Water’s unplanned maintenance and the commissioning of Johannesburg Water’s Brixton system.

Johannesburg Water said it committed on February 6 to continued troubleshooting of bulk supply lines to Hursthill 2. On the same day, a widespread supply interruption occurred across the Hursthill 2 zone, further complicating investigations.

On February 7, pressure monitoring along the Hursthill bulk main supply line from the Commando system confirmed poor pressures at multiple points, indicating an overall decline in system performance.

To test whether the available supply through the Commando meter could be prioritised to Hursthill, pumping at Crosby Pump Station and inflow into the Crosby reservoir were temporarily stopped, as both systems are supplied via the same meter.

By February 8, Johannesburg Water said troubleshooting was continuing, including pressure monitoring, flushing operations and checks for possible airlocks. However, a sharp decline in supply into the Commando system was observed, which may negatively affect investigation outcomes.

Operational teams, the utility said, are continuing to investigate.

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