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Major Water Outage Hits Sandton, Illovo and Over 30 Joburg Suburbs
Johannesburg Water has warned of an extended unplanned outage affecting large parts of the northern suburbs, following a pipe burst that occurred on 30 April. The utility has yet to provide a confirmed timeline for restoring full supply.
Illovo system struggles as repairs continue
Initial repair efforts focused on a damaged 600mm pipe, with Johannesburg Water revealing on Thursday that leaks were discovered on the bypass after the pipe and valve were fully exposed. To manage reservoir levels, the Illovo system is operating at only 50% capacity and is shut down overnight.
While some work has progressed without needing a full shutdown, Johannesburg Water has confirmed that a more disruptive phase of the repair will now begin. The Illovo system is set to be drained from Friday, a process that will take three days. Repairs are expected to take under a day, but refilling and stabilising the system could take up to a week.
Read More: Joburg Faces Ongoing Water Outages: Residents Warned of Extended Supply Disruptions
Areas affected by the water outage
The ongoing outage is affecting multiple high-density residential and commercial areas, including:
Sandton, Illovo, Sandhurst, Rivonia, Morningside, Parkmore, Kramerville, Hyde Park, Barlow Park, Dunkeld West, Inanda, Wierda Valley, Chislehurston, Willowild, Atholhurst, Atholl, Elton Hill, Riepen Park, Clynton, Glenadrienne, Wendywood, Eastgate, Morningside Hills, Hurl Park, Dennehof, Duxberry, Hurlingham, Bordeaux, Morningside Manor, Benmore Gardens, Dalecross, Wynberg, Samba, Craighall, Sunset Acres, Littlefillan, Marlboro, and Glen Atholl.
Additionally, Johannesburg Water confirmed that other suburbs in Region E, including Riverclub, Springhill and parts of Parkmore, are also experiencing outages due to separate maintenance work that started at 8am on Thursday.
Councillors weigh in as residents brace for impact
Ward councillors Andrew Stewart and Martin Williams confirmed that the outage is already affecting residents, especially those in higher-lying areas. Stewart noted that water pressure has been lower over the past week, while Williams warned that gravity will delay restoration for certain suburbs.
Williams said the draining and repair process could leave residents without water for several days. “The repair might be done in a day, but it will take more than two days to refill the system and up to a week to stabilise,” he explained.
Water tankers and JoJo tanks are expected to be deployed to help alleviate the impact, though councillors stressed that the effectiveness of these measures would be closely monitored.
Also Read: Ruimsig Water Leak Damages Estate Wall as Residents Lose Faith in Johannesburg Water
Despite frustrations, Stewart expressed confidence that the situation is being handled with urgency. “We are monitoring the distribution of alternative water sources to ensure residents aren’t left stranded,” he said.
Johannesburg Water has apologised for the inconvenience and said the repairs are necessary to improve long-term service delivery.
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Sourced:The Citizen
Picture: Manolo Guijarro/Getty Images
