Water woes hit large parts of Joburg before planned maintenance schedule

On Friday, 29 May 2026, Rand Water begins a massive maintenance project affecting Johannesburg’s water systems, but on Wednesday, residents across parts of the city were already without water.

As of Wednesday morning, Johannesburg Water (JW) reported four active outages caused by burst pipes. Areas affected include Pimville Zone 1, Greymont, Montclair, Newlands, Alexandra and Coronationville.

A further 28 planned maintenance isolations were also scheduled. On the reservoir network, four reservoirs were running low, and 20 were on bypass, meaning low pressure for the suburbs they feed, rather than a full outage.

Schoolchildren in Claremont were sent home at 11am on Wednesday because there was no water. In a letter to parents, the school said “the lack of water poses a health and safety risk to both learners and staff, as we are unable to maintain proper sanitation and hygiene standards”.

Furious Claremont water activist Claudette Abrahams said the community had been told that JW already knew about this issue on Tuesday.

“What makes this worse is that JW’s own contractor caused further damage to the pipe, making the situation more severe. This was confirmed in a message from our councillor, Marilyne Smouse. As a result, there has been no water today [Wednesday], and no provision was made for residents. Because of this, our children had to be sent home early from school.

“The real concern here is that JW was aware of this problem since (Tuesday), yet no alternative arrangements were put in place. Residents, schools and families were left without water and without warning. We are asking JW to explain why this happened, why nothing was done in advance, and what immediate steps will be taken to restore water and prevent this from happening again,” she said on Wednesday.

JW confirmed that a burst water pipe at Charles Street in Newlands had necessitated the isolation of the water supply at Hurst Hill 1 to Greymont, Montclair, Newlands, Sophiatown, Westbury, Claremont and Coronationville. The pipe was repaired at around midday on Wednesday.

By mid-morning on Thursday, JW water tankers had arrived in Claremont, Selby, Coronationville, Westbury and Crosby.

Starting on Friday, the Rand Water maintenance will affect these areas directly as the Eikenhof system will pump at a reduced rate for 12 hours. Motors and valves will be fixed during this time.

This maintenance will affect Johannesburg Water’s Central, Commando, Deep South, Midrand, Randburg, Roodepoort, Sandton and Soweto systems.

On Tuesday evening, JW said it was attending to a major burst pipe at the corner of Modjaji Street and Chris Hani Road, Soweto. Water supply had been isolated, and affected residents in Pimville Zone 1 contended with from low pressure to no water. No estimated restoration time was given.

In Alexandra, a water pipe burst on East Bank Avenue. Residents had low pressure, while others had no water. There was no estimated restoration time given.

Isaac Ismail, a water activist in Coronationville, is equally frustrated. In a letter to Mayor Dada Morero, he said, “With two days left before this Rand Water maintenance, the water is once again off in Coronationville. Just when one disaster is over and done with, another one starts. There is just so much one can take. I hope and pray that during this no water period, my 80-year-old mother does not go into panic mode, and her blood pressure goes up while waiting on water tankers where she lives.”

In response, Morero said, “We understand the frustration and distress caused by recurring outages, particularly where residents are already attempting to prepare for scheduled interruptions and are unable to adequately store water due to existing supply challenges. We further note your concern regarding the well-being of your elderly mother, and the anxiety and health risks associated with prolonged water outages.

“Please be assured that your concerns have been escalated to the office of the managing director of Johannesburg Water for urgent attention.”

Morero said JW would pay close attention to the water supply interruptions affecting Coronationville, the availability and accessibility of water tankers in the area, and priority support for vulnerable residents.

Residents in the east of the city were not spared either. There was no water in Kensington on Tuesday evening. Selby is still without water.

JW is throttling water supply to Doornkop, Greenvillage, Protea City, Protea Glen, Slovoville, Lufhereng, Tshepisong, and Tshepisong West.

The first tranche of the maintenance work begins on 29 May and is expected to end on 2 June. However, the city’s water system will not recover immediately after the completion of the maintenance.

JW has extensive public notices on all its social media channels to inform residents how it will affect them. The entity has also made arrangements for water tankers to be in the affected areas. DM

This story is produced by Our City News, a non-profit newsroom that serves the people of Johannesburg.