Contingency plans are in place as Rand Water begins the final 54-hour maintenance

Zuko Komisa

Rand Water has commenced a 54-hour maintenance project starting today, resulting in widespread water outages and low pressure across major Johannesburg reservoirs.
Although pumping resumes on 8th January, the infrastructure will require a further seven days to fully stabilise and restore normal service levels.
The City has deployed roaming water tankers and stationary supplies to mitigate the impact while stressing that these works are vital for long-term water security.

Large parts of the city face significant water disruptions starting today as Rand Water begins the final leg of its major maintenance programme.

The shutdown is scheduled to last 54 hours, though officials warn that the system will take an additional seven days to stabilise once pumping resumes on 8th January fully.

The maintenance will affect several key reservoirs, including:

Meadowlands & Doornkop: Affecting Dobsonville, Protea Glen, Orlando West, and surrounding extensions.
Bramfischerville & Fleurhof: Impacting Mmesi Park, Lea Glen, and Sol Plaatjies.
Roodepoort Deep: Including Hamberg, Discovery, and Georginia.

Mayor Dada Morero confirmed that while taps may run dry or suffer low pressure, roaming water tankers will be deployed to affected neighbourhoods.

“This work is essential to safeguard the City’s long-term water security,” Morero stated, adding that response teams are on standby to manage the recovery period.

Residents are advised to check official channels and councillor platforms for regular updates.