Residents of Dube and Meadowlands seek alternative means of getting water on March 18, 2024 in Soweto, South Africa. Itís now the fourth day that residents of Dube and Meadowlands are without water since Rand Water experiences a system collapse in some areas of Soweto and Johannesburg. (Photo by Gallo Images/Fani Mahuntsi) 
The Gauteng Quality of Life Survey released on October 22 shows that 64% of those interviewed are worried the province will run out of water. The province is in a water crisis with the three major metros – Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni – all under strain as summer arrives.
The survey has the second-largest sample base in South Africa with 13,795 respondents in 529 wards in the province. With more than 600 detailed interviews in each municipality in the province, the quality of life study is the most accurate ground-level barometer of the water crisis yet published.
Read more: Water Shortages
Usually, information is distilled via the water boards and government who try to downplay the problem because of its gravity and impact. The economy is still concentrated in Gauteng (although the Western Cape is catching up) and water access and stability are still key to growth in big sectors.
Access to water
After 1994, one of the biggest transformation gains achieved by the ANC was giving black people access to water – it was regarded as the pre-eminent development goal. Access is still high, but water quality has declined, according to the slide below from the survey results.
In the 2021 survey, 75% of respondents said their water was always clean, but three years later, the figure is down to 60% raising a concern not only about water supply, but also water quality. Access to water satisfaction is also declining, according to the survey’s results.
Water cuts are frequent across all municipalities in the province and the trend has increased at a steep pace since the last survey was done. Ekurhuleni (38%), Johannesburg (37%) and Tshwane (40%) show that these major centres for jobs and possible economic growth are all struggling with intermittent and interrupted supply.
Lesedi and Emfuleni appear to be in a red zone for water supply while even Midvaal, which does well on other indicators, shows a 24% rate of water interruptions. The Gauteng City-Region Observatory says water is the next crisis. A months-long data investigation by Daily Maverick only in Johannesburg has shown that thousands of water interruptions a month are now a regular occurrence.
DM