The maintenance in Joburg will end in July. Picture: iStock
Johannesburg residents are bracing for water disruptions as Rand Water prepares for crucial maintenance on the Palmiet System, scheduled for Friday and Saturday next week.
The two-day maintenance operation will impact several key areas including Sandton, Midrand and central regions of Johannesburg.
The maintenance, first announced on 7 January, involves repairing a leak in the 02 pipeline, necessitating a complete isolation of the water supply.
“Rand Water Maintenance planned for 25-26 January 2025, will affect the Palmiet Pump Station,” states the official notice.
The official notice highlights that the Alexander Park Reservoir, Midrand Systems, Southhill Tower and Sandton Systems will be affected.
Midrand Systems:
Sandton Systems:
South Hills:
Alexander Park Reservoir:
Johannesburg Water warns that some systems may require 3-5 days to fully recover after the maintenance is completed.
To mitigate the impact, it plans to boost reservoir levels where possible before and during the maintenance period.
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Johannesburg Water has committed to providing alternative water supply through roaming water tankers and stationary tanks, with distribution plans to be coordinated with ward councillors in affected regions.
Priority will be given to essential services such as schools, clinics, old age homes and retirement homes.
The utility advised malls, hospitals and medical centres to prepare their backup water supplies.
“Residents are strongly encouraged to prepare for the disruption by storing water in advance,” it said.
Additionally, Joburg Water recommended exploring alternative solutions such as rainwater harvesting for non-consumption use during maintenance.
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In a separate development, Joburg Water is also dealing with ongoing issues at the Honeydew reservoir.
An emergency shutdown planned for 9 January had to be abandoned when the maintenance team encountered isolation difficulties.
“The technical team is replanning its approach to achieve required isolation however this is still in preparation phase,” the utility stated in their 14 January notice.
It said the reservoir’s inlet has been bypassed as a precautionary measure to prevent potential catastrophic failure, though the reservoir continues to supply water at reduced capacity.
According to Joburg Water, residents in the Honeydew supply zone are experiencing intermittent water supply issues, with some areas facing low pressure to no water.
Joburg Water said it was committed to providing alternative water arrangements for areas experiencing prolonged outages and will continue to update residents as the situation develops.
The utility expressed its regret for the service disruption, acknowledging the inconvenience caused to residents while emphasising the critical nature of these maintenance operations for the city’s water infrastructure.
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