Joburg’s 21-Day Water Woes: What Residents Should Expect

Massive Infrastructure Overhaul Means Weeks of Dry Taps and Low Pressure

Johannesburg residents are in for a rough ride. From 30 June to 21 July 2025, large parts of the city will face serious water supply disruptions, a consequence of major maintenance by bulk supplier Rand Water that will ripple across Johannesburg Water’s network.

Whether you’re in Soweto, Randburg, Roodepoort, or Lenasia, prepare to either run dry or deal with trickling taps for nearly a month.

What’s Going On: Big Fix, Big Impact

Rand Water will carry out extensive infrastructure maintenance over 21 days, affecting multiple systems at the same time. The goal is to perform long-overdue cleaning, valve replacements, and pipe repairs across its network — but the citywide impact will be significant.

The most widespread disruption comes from work on the Eikenhof System, which feeds critical supply zones like:

• Commando System (Hursthill, Brixton, Crosby)

• Lenasia and Soweto

• Randburg and Roodepoort

• Crown Gardens, Eagles Nest & Aeroton Reservoirs

This system will begin a phased reduction starting at 5am on 30 June. Pumping will completely halt for six hours, restart at 50% for 42 hours, and then limp along at 80% capacity for the remaining 19 days.

Other Systems Also Taking a Hit

It doesn’t end there. Other simultaneous maintenance efforts are happening at:

• Zuikerbosch Plant: Pipe leak repairs from 30 June to 2 July. Same impact pattern as Eikenhof: 6 hours of zero pumping, 50% capacity for 42 hours, then 80%.

• Zwartkopjes System: Complete shutdown from 5am on 30 June to 7am on 2 July for valve replacements. No pumping at all.

Affected Areas:

• Parktown

• Berea

• Forest Hill

• Crown Gardens (double-hit zone)

• Alan Manor

• Naturena

• Hector Norris Pump Station

Because of overlapping schedules, Crown Gardens and Eagles Nest are in for a particularly harsh disruption.

What Residents Are Saying

On social media, the news sparked a mix of frustration and resignation.

“Winter AND water outages? This city really doesn’t like us,” tweeted a Brixton resident.

“Three weeks of bucket baths incoming. Thanks for the heads-up at least,” posted another from Roodepoort.

While some welcomed the long-term benefits of infrastructure upgrades, many worry about the daily grind of living without steady water, especially during the chilly Joburg winter.

What You Can Do: Prepare, Don’t Panic

Johannesburg Water has promised to deploy alternative water supply points in impacted areas, though exact locations have not been confirmed yet.

However, residents are being urged to:

• Stock up on bottled water and storage containers before 30 June

• Use water sparingly leading up to and during the disruptions

• Follow Johannesburg Water’s social media for updates and tanker locations

Also important to note: Normal supply won’t resume immediately after 21 July. Full pressure recovery could take up to 14 additional days.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters

Johannesburg’s water infrastructure is aging and under pressure, literally and figuratively. Years of deferred maintenance, rapid urban expansion, and load-shedding-related breakdowns have left the system brittle.

Rand Water’s move to address some of these issues now, though disruptive is arguably overdue. It’s the price residents pay for years of neglect at municipal and provincial levels.

But for households, businesses, schools, and hospitals, three weeks of low or no water isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a test of resilience in a city already stretched thin.

Joburg’s taps are about to run dry, but it’s not forever. With a bit of planning and a lot of patience, residents can weather the 21-day water drought. Just don’t expect things to return to normal overnight.

Brace for Dry Taps: 14-Hour Water Outages Hit Johannesburg as Upgrades Roll Out