The Hard Hat Professional

Our preoccupation with Eskom and logistics has overshadowed the importance of water, which could pose a more significant threat than electricity and Transnet. Water is essential for sustaining life.The absence of water in the country's economic center will have dire consequences. Without water, industries will be unable to operate, leading to a standstill in the production of goods and services. Johannesburg's water and sanitation infrastructure is in dire straits due to insufficient funding, resulting in increased infrastructure failure, financial losses, and dissatisfied consumers. The city's water company, Johannesburg Water, has an infrastructure portfolio that has lost 59% of its value, with a backlog of R24 billion in assets that have reached the end of their useful lifespan. This is because authorities have failed to meet the mandated annual infrastructure renewal rate of 2%.  The company should ideally set aside around R2 billion each year for pipe replacements and