Officials form joint committee after power trips disrupt Rand Water supply

Senior government and utility officials agreed to form a joint working committee after repeated power interruptions disrupted Rand Water’s systems and affected water supply across parts of Gauteng and the North West.

Urgent meeting called

Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister David Mahlobo convened an urgent meeting on Tuesday evening, 8 September 2026, with Deputy Minister Jack Bloom, “at the request of Minister Pemmy Majodin,” according to a statement released on 9 September 2026.

The meeting brought together Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, alongside representatives from Rand Water, the Department of Water and Sanitation, City Power, Joburg Water and Eskom.

Where supplies were affected

Officials received detailed reports on how recent electricity interruptions had disrupted water supply systems. The interruptions affected water supply systems in Emfuleni, City of Johannesburg, and West Rand municipalities as well as Madibeng and Rustenburg areas in the North West, the statement said.

The meeting also highlighted a recurring problem with power to a key Rand Water facility. As the statement put it:

“The collective noted with concern the frequent challenges in City Power’s electricity supply to Rand Water’s Eikenhof system, which has negatively impacted the system’s ability to reliably supply water to municipalities.”

Joint committee to develop short- and long-term fixes

Attendees agreed to establish a joint working committee led by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The statement described the committee’s membership as including representatives from the Gauteng Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Rand Water, Joburg Water, City Power, Eskom and “all other relevant stakeholders.”

The committee will “develop a response plan to address both the current challenges as well as options for Rand Water to secure a reliable source of electricity in future,” the statement said, and will take the plan to the provincial intergovernmental structure.

Officials urge conservation as coordination continues

The statement encouraged ongoing public cooperation on water conservation:

“The meeting further encouraged DWS, Rand Water, the provincial government and the City to continue mobilising all structures of society to work with government in conserving water and on the importance of using water more sparingly, particularly during these prevailing conditions.”

Officials noted some improvements where coordination had already begun, saying supply challenges “are improving and will need to be sustainably stabilised.”