JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has conceded that several Johannesburg communities are battling long-term water supply problems.
This follows months of frustration in areas like Coronationville and Westbury.
For months, residents in Coronationville and Westbury have been at loggerheads with the City of Johannesburg over recurring water outages.
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Now, the crisis has widened.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi admits that parts of Westdene, Sophiatown, Melville, Emmarentia and Doornkop are also experiencing persistent supply problems.
According to Lesufi, a R760-million infrastructure upgrade is underway.
This includes a new ground reservoir and water tower in Brixton as well as a five-kilometre pipeline scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
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But why do outages last weeks?
Experts point to ageing infrastructure, electricity disruptions affecting pump stations, and the complexity of restoring pressure to a strained water system.
Large-scale upgrades also take time, meaning short-term relief may not equal a permanent fix.
For now, residents say they are waiting to see whether this latest intervention will finally bring a stable water supply to their taps.