Residents of Meadowlands in Soweto have raised serious concerns about the quality of water being delivered by emergency tankers, stating they are forced to boil it before use. This comes as many taps remain dry days after a scheduled 52-hour shutdown for maintenance of the critical Eikenhof water supply system.
While Johannesburg Water has stated that supply is gradually returning, the utility has warned that full restoration could take between three to five days as systems rebuild capacity. In the interim, communities in parts of Soweto and surrounding areas continue to rely on alternative water supply via tankers.
This reliance, however, is fraught with anxiety for residents. Speaking from her home, one Meadowlands resident explained the extensive precautions her family must now take.
“We drink the water that we have stored, as for the one that we get from the water tank, we have to boil first before drinking as we know that they might be contaminated with germs,” she said. “We also reserve it for the bathroom.”
Expressing a sentiment echoed by others, she revealed that the lack of trust in the tanker water has led her family to purchase additional water. “I’m not comfortable. We are scared, very scared for the kids and for us as well and for our health as well. We are boiling the water even now,” she said.
In a statement, Johannesburg Water acknowledged that affected residents in parts of Soweto and the Roodepoort area may continue to experience low pressure to no water. The utility said it is monitoring the affected systems and will apply configuration changes to boost recovery. It confirmed that alternative water supply via tankers would remain in place until full restoration is achieved.
The ongoing crisis has prompted calls from water experts for greater investment in the city’s aging infrastructure. Water expert from WaterCAN Dr. Ferrial Adam emphasized the urgent need for action.
“A lot more money has to go to Johannesburg Water. They need to ring-fence their funding and they need to do the urgent repairs on our infrastructure that’s needed,” Adam stated.
Johannesburg Water has committed to continuing close monitoring of the system and providing regular updates as restoration progresses. For now, the residents of Meadowlands and other affected areas continue their daily routine of boiling and buying, waiting for the moment their taps flow with safe, reliable water once more.