Johannesburg residents should prepare for a 72-hour water outage from 18 October, 20:00 to 21 October, 20:00. Johannesburg Water announced the disruption as part of an upgrade project at the Hector Norris Pumpstation, where four isolating valves will be installed. This upgrade, they say, will help improve service delivery and ensure a more reliable water supply in the long term.
Areas set to be affected by this outage include Johannesburg CBD, Newtown, Selby, Jeppestown, Doorfontein, Forest Hill, Turffontein, Rosettenville, La Rochelle, and Turf Club. All streets within these areas will face a complete cut in water supply. Water tankers will be stationed around the affected suburbs to ease the inconvenience.
South Hills residents facing longer water outages
While the planned 72-hour outage will affect many, some areas have suffered for much longer. Residents of South Hills, Linmeyer, Risana, Tulisa Park, and the nearby regions connected to the South Hills Water Tower have been without water for more than five days.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has taken up the matter, questioning Johannesburg Water’s lack of transparency.
“They have informed us of poor supply coming from Rand Waters’s side and that there’s “high consumption,” stated the DA.
The South Hills water tower, in particular, has faced prolonged outages, leading to growing frustration among residents. The DA has raised concerns over Rand Water’s Meyershill reservoir, which has been out of commission for up to three years. The party plans to demand answers from the Mayoral Committee for Infrastructure and pursue a formal investigation.
“We have been fighting this issue for four years now and we will continue to fight for our residents until there is a permanent solution to the prolonged water outages the community faces,” said the DA.
Water scarcity is a growing concern across South Africa
The water challenges in Johannesburg reflect a broader national issue. The Cabinet has called on all South Africans to use water sparingly, especially in water-restricted areas like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Water levels remain critically low due to ongoing shortages, with the government emphasising the need for immediate action.
“Water is life; use it responsibly,” urged the Cabinet.
How do you think local and national authorities should address these persistent water issues?
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