BRIXTON, JOHANNESBURG – Nearly a month after maintenance work began, residents supplied by the Commando system are still grappling with severe water shortages in the region. Johannesburg Water has confirmed that recovery efforts are ongoing, though the utility has yet to provide a definitive timeline for the full restoration of services to affected communities.
The prolonged outage, which has lasted nearly four weeks following a Rand Water maintenance programme in May, has significantly disrupted daily life in Brixton and surrounding neighborhoods. Families are struggling to meet basic daily needs, with buckets and containers becoming a common sight as residents are forced to collect water from neighbors who are fortunate enough to still have a running supply.
Locals have expressed growing frustration over the situation, citing concerns about the reliability of the city’s aging infrastructure, especially given the high municipal bills they are required to pay. In response to the scarcity, some property owners in the area have stepped in to assist, granting residents daily permission to collect water from their private properties to help the community cope with the crisis.
A spokesperson for Johannesburg Water explained that the utility is working to recover the network, but the process is progressing at an “uncomfortably slow” pace. The challenges stem from a combination of supply constraints and high demand following the bulk supplier’s maintenance. Currently, local reservoirs, including Hurst Hill 1 and Hurst Hill 2, are operating on a bypass due to ongoing construction at the site. As a result, the utility is utilizing alternate means of supply, but the entire network remains constrained and unable to deliver adequate pressure to all connected residents.
The Commando network is a complex setup comprising the main Crosby reservoir and pump station, the Hurst Hill 2 section, as well as the older Brixton reservoir and tower, alongside the newer Brixton reservoir and tower. Restoring pressure to these higher-lying areas is a complicated process, particularly while the reservoirs themselves are still refilling.
To mitigate the crisis, the utility is deploying all available operational interventions. This includes transferring water during off-peak night hours and diverting supply from healthier northern systems, such as those in Midrand and Sandton, as well as bringing in water from Roodepoort and Randburg.
Despite these efforts, the entire water value chain lacks adequate capacity. Out of the city’s eight distinct water distribution networks, the Commando system remains the most heavily constrained. This is largely due to its aging infrastructure, intense capacity pressures, and its close proximity to the Johannesburg city center.
For the affected communities, the lack of certainty remains the most pressing issue. Until the utility achieves full restoration, residents will continue to depend on alternative sources and the goodwill of their neighbors to get through each day.
