Eleven months after its launch, the Vaal Corporation Water Utility is about to take over Emfuleni’s water staff and assets. The backlog is enormous, but the department now calls it a model for the rest of the country.
In November 2025, the first article in this year’s MAP Forum series asked whether a new water company could finally stop the sewage flowing into the Vaal. The Vaal Corporation Water Utility, a partnership between Rand Water Services and Emfuleni Local Municipality, had just been launched to take over water and sanitation services in one of the country’s most troubled municipalities. Almost a year later, there is progress to report.
Where things stand
In a statement on Wednesday 21 October, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Jack Bloom said that the establishment of the utility is progressing well. Several key agreements have been signed, and the remaining approvals, including the agreement to transfer employees, are expected by 30 October. Staff and assets are due to move to the new utility in November, and a full board will follow, with six directors nominated by Rand Water Services and two by Emfuleni.
That transfer is the moment the utility moves from paper to practice. Until now, Rand Water has been supporting the municipality under a national intervention. From November, the utility will be directly responsible for running the system.
The size of the job
The backlog the utility inherits is daunting. Emfuleni loses about 75 percent of its water, mostly through leaking pipes. The utility has identified 164 priority leaks, and faces a backlog of 1,700 water-related complaints, 912 leaking meters and 2,598 sewage spills. Eleven additional repair teams have joined the 16 that normally work on leaks, bringing the total to 27.
Bloom warned that Emfuleni will be a construction site for the next few years. Old asbestos cement pipes are collapsing, and pump stations need to be rebuilt. There are no shortcuts when infrastructure has been neglected for so long.
Why the model matters
The key difference between the utility and the failed arrangements of the past is money. Water revenue will be ring-fenced for reinvestment in the system, rather than flowing into the municipality’s general budget. Rand Water’s financial strength is also expected to help raise the funding needed for rehabilitation. That is precisely the reform that experts, the Auditor-General and civil society have been calling for in Johannesburg and elsewhere.
Department of Water and Sanitation Director-General Sean Phillips has described the partnership as a model that should be followed across the country. Bloom said the utility offers the best opportunity to modernise water and sanitation infrastructure, reduce leaks and sewage spills, and restore the Vaal River for recreation, tourism and job creation.
Why this is good news
It is easy to be sceptical about announcements, and a year ago we cautioned that the launch was a beginning, not a result. That caution still applies. The utility has not yet taken over operations, the backlog is vast, and the real test will be measurable reductions in spills and water losses over the next few years.
But the progress is real. Agreements have been signed, staff are about to transfer, repair teams have been expanded, the governance structure is in place and the financial model protects water revenue. For residents of Sebokeng, Evaton and Vereeniging who have lived with sewage in their streets, and for everyone downstream on the Vaal, it is the most credible plan they have seen in years.
What to watch next
The coming months will reveal whether the utility can deliver. Readers should watch for the successful transfer of staff and assets in November, regular public reporting on spills, leaks and water losses, visible progress on pump station repairs, and improvements in the quality of water in the Vaal downstream of Emfuleni. The MAP Forum will keep following the story, because if this model works in Emfuleni, it could change how water is managed across South Africa.
References
Engineering News: Progress on Emfuleni water utility advances, potentially model for partnerships countrywide (21 October 2026): https://engineeringnews.co.za/article/progress-made-on-emfuleni-water-utility-establishment-2026-10-21
Engineering News: New special-purpose vehicle launched to tackle Emfuleni water challenges (November 2025): https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/new-spv-launched-to-tackle-emfuleni-water-challenges-2025-11-28
PMG: Emfuleni Local Municipality intervention, Annexure C (June 2026): https://static.pmg.org.za/RCW465-2026-06-19_Annexure_C.pdf
TimesLIVE: Armed gangs, ageing pipes and tanker costs strain Joburg water system, commission hears (21 May 2026): https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-21-armed-gangs-ageing-pipes-and-tanker-costs-strain-joburg-water-system-commission-hears/