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

Massive water shutdowns across the city as Rand Water replaces critical meters and upgrades bulk supply infrastructure

Johannesburg residents should prepare for repeated 14-hour water outages this week and into July, as the city’s water infrastructure undergoes a much-needed upgrade. The outages form part of a wide-scale meter replacement and maintenance programme led by Rand Water and Johannesburg Water.

If you live in Cosmo City, Montgomery Park, or Forest Hill, get your water buckets and JoJo tanks ready. Taps will run dry for hours as technicians dig into the city’s ageing water systems to install new magnetic flow meters  essential tools for tracking how water is used and distributed.

Where and When Will the Water Go Off?

Johannesburg Water has issued detailed maintenance schedules, with some areas hit as early as this week:

• Tuesday, 24 June:
  Cosmo City will be without water for 14 hours (6am to 8pm) as its reservoir is shut down for meter upgrades.

• Wednesday, 25 June:
  Residents in Newlands, Albertville, Montgomery Park, and Albertskroon (Region B) will face another 14-hour outage (8am to 6pm) as crews install pressure-reducing valves to stabilise supply.

• Thursday, 26 June – Friday, 27 June:
  Forest Hill Reservoir will be offline overnight, from 6pm to 8am, in a bid to reduce disruption during peak usage hours.

Looking ahead:

• 3 July: Mechanical meter replacement in Whiteridge North (6am–8pm)

• 21 July: Maintenance at Orlando Power Station South (8am–2pm)

• 30 July: Major 14-hour upgrade in the Abattoir and Market areas (6am–8pm)

Why All the Upgrades Now?

Johannesburg Water says this is about long-term gain. The replacement of ageing magnetic and mechanical meters is key to improving monitoring, cutting down on water losses, and ensuring more reliable delivery in the years ahead.

Rand Water’s bulk infrastructure maintenance, scheduled between 30 June and 21 July, will see simultaneous work across multiple Johannesburg Water systems — a rare but necessary step that could impact the entire city.

The work is part of a broader modernisation push, intended to strengthen the city’s ability to manage supply and prevent future breakdowns.

How Will This Affect Me?

Expect:

• No water or very low pressure in affected areas

• Slow recovery times: Johannesburg Water warns it may take 1–3 days after work finishes for normal pressure to return

• Alternative water supply: Tankers will be stationed at “strategic points” during major outages in July

Pro Tip: If you live in an impacted area, store water ahead of time and follow @JHBWater or check their website for alerts and updates.

Service Pain Now, Stability Later

This round of water outages — though frustrating — is being framed by the City as a necessary evil. Johannesburg Water argues that these upgrades are foundational to a more efficient, reliable water supply across the metro.

But public sentiment remains mixed.

“We’ve had so many outages already this year, it’s exhausting,” said Rosebank resident Ayanda M., speaking on social media. “We understand the need for upgrades, but the communication must improve. We need clear times and locations for water tankers.”

Stay Prepared

Johannesburg Water encourages residents to:

• Keep containers filled ahead of outages

• Avoid high water usage during and after maintenance

• Report leaks or burst pipes promptly to reduce system strain

• Look out for emergency supply trucks, especially during the July shutdown period

If you experience an extended outage with no restoration, contact the Johannesburg Water call centre or tweet updates to @JHBWater using the hashtag #JoburgWaterUpdate.

In a city where infrastructure strain is a daily reality, these upgrades could mark a turning point, provided they’re executed with transparency, support, and a fair bit of patience from Joburg residents.

{Source: The Citizen}

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