Large parts of Johannesburg are entering a second week with severely disrupted water supply, as a major planned maintenance project by the city’s bulk water supplier continues. The outage, which residents report has already lasted for days, is now expected to persist in some areas until 8 January 2026.
The disruption stems from work on the Zuikerbosch water system, a critical part of the supply infrastructure. Rand Water, the bulk supplier, confirmed the outage is part of a scheduled, multi-phase maintenance plan intended to ensure long-term water security.
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo provided details on the scope of the impact. “We have undertaken a maintenance project. We started on Saturday the 13th of December,” Maroo stated, confirming the first phase was completed on Monday at 4:00 a.m. as planned. However, she explained that despite the work being finished, “the system needs time to recover.”
Maroo identified the most impacted areas as spanning much of the city. “We know that most parts of Johannesburg are impacted,” she said, specifying southern Johannesburg, parts of the north, the Midrand area supplied by the Erand system, and some parts of Ekurhuleni. She noted that high-lying areas are suffering the most due to the slow recovery of system pressure, even though Rand Water is “pumping at full capacity.”
Specific reservoirs cited as critically impacted include the Erand reservoir in Midrand, the South Hill Reservoir 1 and 2 complexes, and systems feeding areas like Brixton.
Addressing public frustration over the timing of the work during the festive season, Maroo defended the decision. “We took a conscious decision,” she said, explaining that demand is traditionally lower in December and January as many residents leave the province and industries slow down. “Hence the decision to have this major maintenance this time of the year,” she concluded.
The spokesperson also pointed to pre-existing, underlying issues in certain areas that have compounded the current outage. She named south Johannesburg, Bedford View east of Johannesburg, and Edenvale as areas with persistent challenges that require separate attention to stabilize the network.
The maintenance is being conducted in phases. The second phase is scheduled to begin on 19 December at 6:00 p.m. and is expected to be completed by midnight on 21 December. Residents across the affected metros are advised to continue using water sparingly as the system gradually recovers.