By Rorisang Modiba
- EskomSePush co-founder Herman Maritz says water outages now create the same level of app activity as load shedding used to, with people sharing tanker locations and reservoir updates daily.
- South Africa’s water system needs R90-billion every year for the next decade to fix infrastructure while municipalities spent R2.32-billion on emergency water tankers in 2023 and 2024.
Water cuts have become a bigger crisis for South Africans than load shedding ever was.
The popular app EskomSePush, which people once used mainly for power cut schedules, now gets most of its activity from reports about water outages.
Since load shedding eased, the app added features that let users report all kinds of service issues. Through ESP Chats, neighbours share information about power cuts, water outages, internet problems, lost pets and even crime.
Co-founder Herman Maritz said water outages now create the same level of activity on the app as load shedding used to, MyBroadband reported.
People want quick updates on where water trucks are, which reservoirs are empty and when water will come back. Users help each other by sharing the locations of tankers, which areas have queues and where to find boreholes or storage tanks.
Maritz added that load reduction, which is targeted power cuts in areas with illegal connections or overloaded lines, has become common. The app now supports alerts for that too.
The rise in water related reports reflects South Africa’s worsening water infrastructure. Poor planning, under investment, water theft and vandalism are causing widespread problems.
Earlier this year, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering warned that the country’s water system is at a critical point. It needs about R90-billion every year for the next decade to fix and upgrade.
However, many municipalities do not have enough engineering skills to use the money properly.
The Auditor General also warned Parliament about a major failure in how water services are planned and managed.
In 2023 and 2024, more than 59 municipalities spent R2.32-billion on emergency water tankers. Part of that spending was irregular.
There is a growing problem with water mafias. These groups allegedly damage infrastructure on purpose so the government is forced to hire water tankers, businesses that they benefit from.
Most municipalities also failed their audits, showing poor performance or non compliance with laws.
Water losses are massive. R14.89-billion worth of water was lost in one financial year. Seventy four municipalities lost more than 30% of their water supply, above the national limit.
Pictured above: A tap.
Image source: File
