Residents and businesses in Emmarentia are grappling with an ongoing water crisis that has stretched for days, disrupting the daily lives of businesses and residents.

Leila Gassiep, co-owner of the Kitchen of Oz in Emmarentia, said the restaurant’s water supply was cut off on February 2, forcing the business to rely on emergency measures to stay afloat.

Read more: Johannesburg Water warns of lack of water supply as repairs on Hursthill 2 reservoir begin

“Thankfully we have a JoJo tank on the roof, which catches us for quite some time, but when it runs out, we have to rely on a tanker, or try to get a tanker out here to supply us with water.”

Gassiep explained that while nearby community members and organisations have helped where possible, the situation remains precarious. Water is sometimes sourced from communal tanks, a nearby mosque, or a borehole installed at an old-age home, but none of these options offer a reliable or sustainable solution.

“The JoJo tank supplies the restaurant, but not the flats,” she said, referring to the residential units above surrounding businesses. “They haven’t had water the whole week. They do struggle quite a bit.”

She warned that the crisis has far-reaching consequences for local businesses and workers. “If we run out of water, then we have to close down. You can’t afford to really do it, especially coming out of January into February. It affects staff, it affects the business, it affects the area.”

Residents share similar frustrations. Vaun Kelly, an Emmarentia resident, said the crisis was avoidable and the result of long-standing failures in planning and communication. “They’ve known about the cracks, the pump issues, and feeding problems for over four years. Quite frankly, they’re only starting now to fix the reservoir, let alone the pump.”

He criticised what he described as poor engagement with the community, and a lack of preparedness for predictable disruptions.

Also read: Councillors raise concerns as water shutdowns threaten stability across Johannesburg’s fragile network

“If they had just engaged the community around how to plan and what their backup systems were, we wouldn’t be without water for five days. The communication to residents is poor, contradictory, and dismissive. They’ve taken their customers and residents for granted completely.”

Ward 88 councillor Nicolene Jonker said she had engaged with a senior manager at Johannesburg Water on February 7, but even they are uncertain why the water shortage in Emmarentia has lasted so long.

“They’ve done several pressure checks, but still don’t understand why the water isn’t reaching us. I asked if it could be a valve problem, but they said it couldn’t be. They’ve promised to keep investigating until they find an answer, but for now, residents are still left without water.”

The publication reached out to Johannesburg Water for comment and their response will be updated once received.

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