Johannesburg residents know the drill by now: fill the buckets, brace for dry taps, and pray it’s over soon.
Johannesburg’s water troubles have been brewing for years, but the situation has hit crisis levels. Over the past few weeks, water outages have become the norm, and reservoirs are struggling to keep up with demand.
Read more here: Fears of ‘Day Zero’ mount as Gauteng water supplies dry up
This time, Rand Water’s critical 86-hour maintenance at the Eikenhof and Zwartkoppies pump stations turned off the city’s waterworks. Completed as planned on Monday night, the maintenance aimed to fix historical defects and improve water infrastructure flexibility. But while the pumps are back online, the road to full recovery is as bumpy as Johannesburg’s pothole-laden streets.
Rand Water reports that recovery is underway. Direct feed areas are experiencing varying water pressures, while reservoirs are slowly refilling. Yesterday morning, Johannesburg Water began opening outlets at 50% capacity to kickstart supply, with some systems already reaching 100%.
The timing of the maintenance—a long weekend during a heatwave—added to frustrations.
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo defended the timing, explaining that December is traditionally chosen for maintenance due to reduced industrial and residential demand. The utility insists that these repairs were essential to avoid bigger disruptions later.
Still, Nicole van Dyk, a ward councillor in the Randburg area, believes things could have been better planned. “No one was against the maintenance, but the timing was wrong. This could’ve been handled much better,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Rand Water remains optimistic. “The objective is to minimise disruptions and ensure complete recovery in the shortest period,” according to Rand Water GM for communication Lydia Radebe.
The water woes aren’t confined to Johannesburg. Across Gauteng, ageing infrastructure, insufficient rainfall, and rising demand have stretched water supplies to the brink. Experts have warned that without significant investment in infrastructure and improved water management practices, the region could face a full-blown “Day Zero” scenario.
Read more here: Johannesburg’s water crisis: Is ‘Day Zero’ coming?
While Johannesburg might have dodged a worst-case scenario for now, the city’s water crisis is far from over. Short-term fixes like maintenance are crucial but do little to address the systemic issues that continue to plague the region.
As reservoirs slowly refill and taps start flowing again, the question remains: how long until the next outage?
Emma is a freshly graduated Journalist from Stellenbosch University, who also holds an Honours in history. She joined the explain team, eager to provide thorough and truthful information and connect with her generation.
