42-hour water disruptions in Joburg due to maintenance: Here are the affected areas

Johannesburg Water has announced a planned water outage scheduled for Wednesday, 23 April, affecting central areas of the city.

The interruption is set to last from 6pm on Wednesday until noon on Friday, 25 April. Joburg Water said it is necessary due to the installation of piping at the Hector Norris Pump Station.

These are the affected areas

• Johannesburg CBD;
• Newtown;
• Selby;
• Jeppestown;
• Doornfontein.

Residents in these regions will experience low pressure and no water supply during the maintenance period.

Johannesburg Water stated that the repair work will enhance service delivery.

In their official communication, Johannesburg Water acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the outage and assured residents that measures were in place to mitigate the impact of the outage.

“Further details regarding alternative water supply will be provided,” the utility mentioned.

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Water restrictions

According to Joburg Water, the City of Johannesburg remains under Level 1 water restrictions as of Sunday.

“Johannesburg Water has also been implementing a water supply reduction since 8 November 2024, a measure that has been communicated to residents,” it said.

Joburg Water is closely monitoring its systems, which have been stable, and will provide updates to residents when needed.

“To manage high consumption and support the recovery of our systems, Johannesburg Water will continue to enforce the restriction programme according to the separate schedule. This includes halting pumping at various pump stations to towers,” it concluded.

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Interruptions yet to continue

Despite recent heavy rainfalls, Joburg Water said on 14 April that the city would remain under Level 1 restrictions.

The entity explained that the water system’s recovery depends not only on rainfall but also on sustainable consumption by residents.

“While dams feeding the Rand Water system may appear full, actual water usage remains high, and the infrastructure is under strain,” it said.

The utility emphasised that reduced water pressure and supply interruptions would continue where necessary to preserve reservoir levels.

Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba

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