Residents across Gauteng, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Rand West, Mogale City, Madibeng, Rustenburg and Emfuleni are being advised to prepare for reduced water supply as Rand Water commences planned maintenance work this winter. The maintenance, set to begin on 29 May, will affect pumping capacity at key stations, leading to potential disruptions lasting up to 14 days in some areas.
Affected Areas
The maintenance will be carried out in four phases, with the first phase—lasting 107 hours (approximately 5 days)—expected to have the most severe impact. Areas in Ekurhuleni, including Brakpan, Daveyton, and Etwatwa, will be among the hardest hit. Subsequent phases will involve shorter shutdowns of 10, 12, and 50 hours, but residents in high-lying areas may experience prolonged delays in water restoration.
Contingency Plans
The City of Ekurhuleni has announced measures to mitigate the impact, including:
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Stationary water tanks in affected neighborhoods.
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Deployment of water trucks to distribute supply.
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Enhanced communication via WhatsApp groups with ward councillors and municipal officials for rapid response.
Thembi Msane, Ekurhuleni’s MMC for Water and Sanitation, emphasized that while the city has resources to manage the disruptions, residents should store water in advance and use it sparingly.
Challenges Expected
Msane acknowledged that high-demand areas may face difficulties, particularly where reservoir recovery is slow. “After the first five days, low-lying areas will start receiving water within hours, but high-lying areas may take up to 14 days for full recovery,” he said.
Residents’ Concerns
Past water disruptions have led to frustrations over uneven tanker distribution, with some communities reporting delays in relief efforts. Msane assured that the city is working to prioritize critical areas and improve response times by sourcing water from closer locations.
Preventive Measures
To ease the burden, Rand Water will maximize reservoir storage ahead of the maintenance, and Ekurhuleni officials are coordinating with local leaders to streamline communication.
Residents are encouraged to report outages promptly through their ward councillors or municipal channels. The maintenance is expected to conclude by mid-June, with full water supply restoration anticipated shortly after.
