Johannesburg Residents to Experience 12-Hour Water Outages Next Week

Johannesburg Water has announced a series of planned maintenance works that will cause water supply disruptions in various parts of the city next week. The outages are expected to last up to twelve hours in some areas, affecting thousands of households and businesses.

The first interruption will take place on Wednesday, 23 July, in Region D, specifically in Bramfischerville Phase 4. Water supply will be affected from 8 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening. Johannesburg Water explained that the outage is needed to accommodate road upgrades being carried out by the Johannesburg Road Agency. This includes the conversion of open drains to underground drainage systems. Residents in Bramfischerville Phase 4 should expect either very low water pressure or no water supply during this time.

Following this, residents in Region C will face another twelve-hour water outage starting on Monday, 28 July. The disruption will begin at 6 in the evening and continue through until 6 the next morning. This maintenance involves replacing meters to improve overall service reliability.

The affected areas during this outage include Honeydew, Cornelius, Weltevreden HP, Weltevreden, and Corrimore. Johannesburg Water is urging residents to prepare by storing enough water to cover the outage period.

On Tuesday, 30 July, another maintenance activity will take place, running from 6 in the morning to 8 in the evening. This work will focus on replacing magnet flow meters in the streets around Abbatoir and Market. Residents in these locations may also experience reduced water pressure or a complete loss of water supply during this time.

Johannesburg Water emphasised that while these outages will cause inconvenience, the maintenance is essential for improving water service delivery and ensuring a more reliable supply in the long term.

In an official statement, the utility provider apologised for the disruption and assured residents that all necessary measures have been taken to reduce the impact of the outages.

Progress Made in Illovo Water System Recovery

In a related update, Johannesburg Water reported significant progress in stabilising the Illovo water system after maintenance work by Rand Water. Reservoirs one to four, which supply the local water tower, remain restricted at ninety percent capacity to aid ongoing recovery. Meanwhile, reservoirs five to eight are now fully operational, which has improved water supply to several areas.

These include parts of Sandown, Morningside, Benmore, Strathavon, the Sandton Central Business District, and Atholl and its surrounding neighbourhoods.

Flushing operations are currently underway to remove airlocks from the system, helping to restore normal water flow and pressure. However, some high-lying areas may continue to experience low water pressure or intermittent supply. Johannesburg Water stated that there is no confirmed timeline for full restoration but that the situation is improving and remains a top priority.

To support affected communities, Johannesburg Water will keep water tankers in place to provide alternative water supply where needed.

Residents are encouraged to stay updated through Johannesburg Water’s official communication channels and to report any water supply issues promptly. The utility provider also urges all residents to use water responsibly during this time to help manage limited resources.