City suffers slow recovery after Joburg Water maintenance

Several areas in Johannesburg have been without water for four days since Rand Water’s planned maintenance last Friday.

The outage follows an earlier warning from Johannesburg Water to residents that they stored enough water to prepare for supply interruptions during the maintenance routine that was scheduled to run from 7am to 7pm on Friday, July 17.

Despite the work being completed, low water levels, and pressure, at several reservoirs have left thousands of residents waiting for their water supply to return.

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said on Monday that there had been improvements in some parts of the network, but several systems were still recovering. “During the early morning we did experience supply challenges, however there has been improvement.”

She said South Hills had resumed its water supply after reservoir levels improved.

However, residents supplied by the Yeoville system continued to experience low pressure and intermittent water supply as Yeoville Reservoirs 1 and 2 remained at critically low levels.

Shabalala said water levels continued to decline because of high demand and lower inflows into the systems at the Parktown and Berea reservoirs, but that stabilisation was in process.

In Brixton, residents were experiencing low pressure and an intermittent supply due to critically low reservoir and tower levels.

Northcliff remained without water after reservoir and tower levels dropped to critical levels. “The outlet was closed overnight to allow the reservoir to recover at Northcliff,” Shabalala said.

The Hursthill 1 and Hursthill 2 supply zones also remained under strain. Shabalala said the reservoirs were operating on a bypass with constrained inflows, meaning customers might continue to experience no water, low pressure or an intermittent water supply.

In the south of the city, the Lenasia high-level reservoir remained at a low level. Pumping was under way, but the utility had closed its outlets to help the system recover.

The Meadowlands and Orlando East reservoirs remained at low levels but were gradually recovering. “Residents continue to experience constrained supply because demand remains higher than the available inflows,” she said.

Shabalala added that the number of affected areas could change as reservoirs recovered and system conditions improved.

Johannesburg Water has urged residents to continue using water sparingly while the network stabilises.

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