The City of Johannesburg has announced that the third and final phase of a major, pre-planned water infrastructure maintenance programme will commence this week, advising residents in several key areas to prepare for temporary supply disruptions.
Executive Mayor Dada Morero, speaking at a media briefing on Monday, confirmed that the work, undertaken by Rand Water, is scheduled from Tuesday, 6 January 2026, at 4 AM until Thursday, 8 January 2026, at 8 AM—a 54-hour period.
He was joined by the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Jack Sekwaila, and senior officials from Johannesburg Water.
The critical maintenance will take place at the Akershoek pump station and forms part of essential upgrades to bulk water infrastructure. Authorities emphasized that the improvements are necessary to enhance the long-term reliability and sustainability of water supply to parts of the city.
“These upgrades will cause temporary water supply disruptions in some areas in Johannesburg,” Mayor Morero stated.
The specific reservoirs and systems expected to be impacted during this phase include:
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Roodepoort Deep Reservoir
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Fleurhof Reservoir
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Doornkop Reservoir
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Meadowlands Reservoir (including zones 1 and 2)
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Braamfischer Reservoir
Officials explained that during the maintenance window, the volume of water supplied to Johannesburg’s network from Rand Water will be “significantly reduced.” As a result, the affected reservoirs will gradually deplete.
Residents in these zones may begin to experience low water pressure or complete outages as the reservoirs empty. The city issued a particular caution regarding the recovery period.
“After maintenance ends and pumping resumes on the 8th of January 2026, the system will not recover immediately,” a Johannesburg Water official clarified during the briefing. “Johannesburg’s infrastructure will require at least 7 days to stabilize and recover fully.”
The City and Johannesburg Water urged impacted communities to use water sparingly for the duration of the maintenance and the subsequent recovery week. They advised residents to store water in advance for essential use and to keep taps closed during outages to prevent damage and airlocks when supply returns.
This phase marks the conclusion of a staggered maintenance programme designed to minimize widespread disruption while performing vital upgrades on the region’s aging water distribution system.