Is Joburg tap water safe? Why dry taps could last another 3 months

Johannesburg Water says the messages doing the rounds on social media, claiming all tap water in the city is contaminated, are fake. "There is no confirmed water contamination incident affecting the whole city," the utility said on Monday, 26 October (The Citizen).

The bigger problem for many households is no water at all. Johannesburg Water CEO Ntshavheni Mukwevho told residents in Crown Gardens on Monday night that relief from the current supply problems may only come in about three months (EWN).

Is Joburg tap water safe to drink?

There is no city-wide contamination, according to Johannesburg Water. Any precautionary water quality advisory it issues applies only to the areas named in that notice, and people in those areas must keep following its guidance until the advisory is officially lifted (The Citizen).

The utility asked residents to check messages against its official channels before forwarding them, saying unverified claims cause "unnecessary worry and confusion" (The Citizen).

What should I do if my water looks or smells wrong?

Report it. Johannesburg Water says its team will investigate and collect samples where needed, with testing done at its accredited Cydna Laboratory (The Citizen).

• Call the Johannesburg Water Contact Centre on 010 061 4470.
• Or send a private message to its official social media accounts.
• Give your full address, name and surname, and a contact number.

Why are so many Joburg taps dry?

Mayor Dada Morero says the main issue is bulk supply from Rand Water, which feeds the city. Areas from Greenside and Northriding to Robertsham and Mayfair have had outages in recent months (EWN).

On Monday evening Johannesburg Water said its Hursthill 1 and 2 reservoirs were running on bypass because of poor supply, leaving higher-lying areas with very low pressure or no water while the system recovers (Johannesburg Water on X). It is also closing some reservoirs overnight to save water and build up storage, which it says helps push supply to other parts of the network (Johannesburg Water on X).

Morero said the situation is not a crisis yet. "It will be a crisis at the point when we say it's day zero," he said (EWN).

When will water supply improve?

Mukwevho said work on pressure management stations and faster response protocols should be finished within three months. He added that this only buys time, and a lasting fix needs investment in the city's water infrastructure (EWN).

The Crown Gardens meeting covered residents of Wards 54, 55 and 124 (Johannesburg Water on X).

What can I do to help supply recover?

Morero asked residents not to water gardens or wash cars with clean water while reservoir levels are being rebuilt (EWN).