Drieziek 3 residents are breathing a sigh of relief after their water supply was restored last week, ending 15 years of unreliable access.
For years, households relied on water tankers and neighboring communities to meet basic needs, placing a heavy burden on families – especially children, the elderly, and those living with chronic illnesses.
Thokozani Masikane, a Drieziek 3 resident, told OFN:
“We have had some relief over the past week since water was restored, but we are not out of the woods yet. Water is only available at certain times through open taps. At least we are now able to collect water from our own taps, instead of elderly residents being forced to fetch water far from their homes.”
OFN has been following up with Johannesburg Water on the situation. Nombuso Shabalala, spokesperson for Johannesburg Water, explained:
“The Orange Farm water system has been under pressure for some time due to very high demand. This makes it difficult for the Daleside Pump Station to adequately refill the Orange Farm Reservoir, which often runs empty overnight. To manage this, the reservoir is closed at 8 pm and reopened at 5 am daily, allowing it to recover so water is available during the day. Despite these measures, high-lying areas such as Drieziek 1, 3, and Proper continue to experience low pressure or limited supply.
Due to high water demand, we recently had to extend these isolation periods to increase reservoir capacity. From 26 January to 28 January, the reservoir underwent a planned extended isolation. During this time, alternative water supply was provided to affected communities.
To improve the system, the CAPEX department is implementing a series of upgrades, including infrastructure improvements, new pipelines, and the rollout of prepaid water meters across Orange Farm. To date, 18,463 prepaid meters have been installed, with approximately 46,878 more planned. These upgrades aim to strengthen the network, reduce pressure on the system, and support a more reliable water supply for all areas.”
Orange Farm News remains committed to public interest journalism, keeping residents informed and holding authorities accountable for essential services.
