Rand Water maintenance hits snags as reservoir recovery drags on across the province
· Citizen
Rand Water’s planned annual maintenance programme, which began on 29 May, has triggered a cascade of pressure drops, pipe bursts and supply interruptions across Gauteng municipalities.
Officials warn residents that getting the taps flowing again will take time.
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Why your water isn’t back yet and what’s causing the delays
Rand Water’s Phase 1 bulk water maintenance programme, which commenced on Friday, 29 May 2026, and is scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, has caused widespread disruptions across Gauteng’s municipal water networks.
While the Gauteng Provincial Government says recovery is underway, several areas are still experiencing low pressure or no water at all as reservoir levels slowly climb back to normal.
Logan Munsamy, senior manager of Water Demand Management at Johannesburg Water, explained at the Grand Central Reservoir in the Midrand district why restoration cannot happen overnight.
“In order for the system to fully recover, first the pipelines that are empty need to be charged and air displaced from the system, followed by the filling up of the reservoirs to acceptable capacity. Then only can the reservoir outlets be open to feed customers through the various distribution networks.”
The process, he noted, is fundamentally different from restoring electricity.
“Unlike electricity, which, after a repair, one can simply press the switch, and electricity is restored almost immediately, water works differently.”
Munsamy urged residents to bear with authorities, saying recovery “will not be instant, but will be gradual as we recover the system through the bleeding of air”.
Where things stand in Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni
Theo Nkonki, the spokesperson for Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, said the City of Johannesburg has recorded a steady improvement in storage levels, with notable progress in South Hills, Crown Gardens, and the Johannesburg Inner City.
However, the Commando System, which supplies Coronationville, Westbury, Claremont, Brixton and Crosby, is recovering more slowly.
Meanwhile, sections of the Midrand network continue to battle low pressure as reservoirs gradually recharge. “Operational interventions and alternative water supply measures remain in place to support affected communities,” he said.
Nkonki said in Tshwane, reservoir levels at Laudium and Atteridgeville were recovering steadily, though the Soshanguve system in Region 1 remains under strain.
“Relief measures and water tanker support remain available where required,” he said.
Ekurhuleni has fared comparatively better, with stable conditions reported across systems supplied through the Mapleton and Zwartkopjes networks, though the Palmiet system is still seeing gradual reservoir recovery, with some communities continuing to experience low pressure.
Lesedi and Emfuleni hit hardest by pipe bursts and emergency leaks
Beyond slow reservoir recovery, some municipalities have had to contend with infrastructure damage triggered by the maintenance itself.
Nkonki said Lesedi Local Municipality experienced supply interruptions from Saturday, 30 May 2026, after pipe bursts caused by pressure fluctuations associated with the maintenance programme.
“Municipal technical teams remain on site to monitor recovery and respond to any emerging operational challenges,” he said.
Emfuleni Local Municipality has faced an additional setback. Nkonki said that while water services were being progressively restored to previously affected areas, an unforeseen leak in a pipeline forced Rand Water’s Vereeniging Water Purification Station to reduce its supply to Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg for emergency repairs, further delaying recovery.
In the West Rand, Nkonki said municipalities were largely unaffected by the maintenance programme, though Kagiso proved an exception. “The Kagiso community has experienced low pressure to no water supply due to the slow recovery of the Kagiso Reservoir and Water Tower,” he said, adding that Mogale City Local Municipality is working to restore supply while providing temporary relief to residents.
More than 300 officials deployed as hospitals kept supplied
To manage the scale of the disruptions, Nkonki said the Gauteng Provincial Government deployed more than 300 members of its provincial A-Team across the province to provide technical oversight and support municipalities with infrastructure and water supply challenges.
“Municipal and Rand Water technical teams remain on site to manage the situation, while water tanker services continue to provide relief to affected communities,” he said.
Nkonki said critical infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics and other essential services across Gauteng, has continued to receive water through municipal contingency measures and alternative supply arrangements, ensuring healthcare delivery has not been interrupted.
“Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and other essential services across Gauteng, continues to receive water supply through municipal contingency measures and alternative supply arrangements to ensure that service delivery is not disrupted during the maintenance period,” he said.
Mamabolo said the weekend’s reports pointed to meaningful progress despite the hiccups.
“Reports received throughout the weekend indicate that the majority of water systems across Gauteng are recovering steadily following the completion of some of the planned maintenance activities. We are encouraged by the progress being made across the province, while targeted interventions are underway in areas experiencing slower recovery,” he said.
What residents should do while the system recovers
Munsamy appealed directly to residents to play their part in speeding up the recovery.
“We urge residents during the recovery period, as you begin to receive water, to also use that water conservatively to allow other systems within the network to fully recover so that the system can recover within the shortest possible time frame,” he said.
He also committed to keeping the public informed, saying Johannesburg Water would be “working together very closely with our communications department and communicating with our customers and stakeholders every step of the way during the recovery period”.
Water tanking and trucking, he confirmed, would remain in place until the system had fully stabilised.
Nkonki urged residents to follow official updates from their municipalities and government communication platforms and to heed public notices for the remainder of the maintenance period.
Mamabolo echoed the call, saying: “We encourage residents to continue using water sparingly and to remain patient as reservoirs recharge and supply networks return to normal operating levels.”