The Johannesburg Metro Council has approved a motion to conduct research on alternative water sources to decrease reliance on Johannesburg Water as residents have battled water outages for three months.

The motion was brought by ANC councillor Masindi Mmbengwa during a chaotic council meeting on Wednesday, 1 November 2023. Tabling the motion, he likened the city's ongoing water woes to Cape Town's water shedding and "Day Zero" crisis, for which he said the City of Gold was barely prepared.

"The question is: Should the 'Day Zero' come here in the City of Joburg... what will we do? What will be our alternative water? Where are our strategists? What is our plan?"

As a result, he made an ambitious proposal which would help the City generate up to 30% of its own water. It includes exploring the possibility of using well water, spring water and underground water, which would have to be purified by Johannesburg Water.

"The City of Joburg has enough groundwater in the south and other areas such as Doornfontein, Bertrams, Ellis Park. There are already water spots which the City has conducted, one in Yeoville with a capacity of producing 6.1 litres of water per second."

The City had also identified Gautrain Station in Midrand and the Marlboro areas which were said to pump about 10 megalitres to the surface.

Councillors often heckled and shouted during disagreements, requested...