DA demands urgent action as Germiston residents face severe water cuts

The DA will write to the Minister and the MEC of COGTA to ask what immediate actions will be taken to assist the residents and businesses of Germiston and Wadeville.

This after residents and businesses in Germiston, particularly in Wadeville and surrounding areas, have been suffering through unannounced water cuts since October 2024.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply concerned that these affected communities, predominantly middle to lower-income householdsand businesses, never received sufficient communication about these disruptions to their water supply.

This crisis occurs against the backdrop of severe water management failures in Gauteng. The City of Ekurhuleni has hit a concerning record high water consumption of 1,060 megalitres daily, while simultaneously failing to address the nearly 50% water loss through deteriorating infrastructure. Rather than fixing these systemic issues, the municipality has resorted to implementing water shedding, forcing residents to go without water for four days a week while providing limited access to industrial zones.

Rand Water’s reservoir levels have plummeted dramatically, dropping from 67% to 55% in just one week (19-26 January 2025). At this rate, the system could face critical shortages within weeks, potentially leading to widespread water outages across Gauteng.

The Democratic Alliance proposes the following urgent interventions:

1. Immediate repair of leaking infrastructure as the top priority, before implementing any further restrictions on residents
2. Full transparency from the City of Ekurhuleni about the water shedding schedule and immediate communication with affected communities
3. Emergency infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, particularly in the most affected areas of Germiston
4. Direct intervention from the Minister of Water and Sanitation to address the crisis
5. Development of a clear action plan to prevent future water shortages, with concrete timelines and accountability measures

The DA Gauteng in will hold both the City of Ekurhuleni and the Minister of Water and Sanitation accountable for addressing this crisis.

Residents should not have to suffer the consequences of poor infrastructure management and lack of planning. We demand immediate action to restore consistent water supply to all affected areas in Germiston.