With taps running dry and temperatures rising, frustration boiled over in Melville as residents took to the streets to protest on October 28, after eight consecutive days without water, saying years of unreliable supply had pushed their community to breaking point.

For some residents, the latest outage is not an isolated disruption, but the culmination of months – and, in some cases, years – of struggling to access a basic necessity. Melville resident Marilyn Taylor said the neighbourhood had endured eight days without water, day or night, after months of receiving only limited supplies during the early hours of the morning.

Taylor said that, before the latest outage, residents had spent about two months trying to get water between midnight and 06:00, often having to wake up in the early hours and hope that something would come out of their taps. Before that, she said, the supply had been intermittent for years.

Read more: Mayfair, Crosby residents push back after days without water

The prolonged shortage has turned ordinary daily routines into a struggle, with residents unable to bathe properly, flush toilets or reliably obtain enough water for household use.

For Taylor, who lives alone and has no transport, collecting water has become a physically demanding task. “I’m getting water from somebody’s garden. I’m getting water from who knows where. I’m 75. I shouldn’t be running around.” She said carrying heavy containers of water on foot had become increasingly difficult, particularly in the heat.

For fellow Melville resident Brad Edwards, the crisis has become particularly difficult because he lives with and cares for his disabled mother.

Also read: Johannesburg Water acknowledges payment delays as Hursthill 2 reservoir work resumes

He said residents had endured months of unreliable water supply, with water previously available only during limited overnight hours before the taps eventually ran dry. Edwards said the shortage had made it increasingly difficult to maintain basic hygiene at home and raised concerns about the impact on elderly residents, people with disabilities and those who were sick.

He questioned how families were expected to care for children and vulnerable relatives without a dependable water supply, pointing to the needs of community organisations in Melville, including Hotel Hope.

The concerns extend beyond individual households. Without a reliable supply, residents face growing difficulties maintaining hygiene and sanitation, while people who are elderly, ill or living with disabilities may struggle most to find alternatives.

Beyond the immediate hardship, residents say uncertainty over the cause of the outages and when water will return has deepened their frustration. Edwards said regular updates had done little to reassure residents, because the explanations appeared to change.

The publication sent Johannesburg Water a media query regarding the protest on October 27, inquiring about the cause of the prolonged water outage in Melville and surrounding areas. The article will be updated once a response is received.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!