By Charles Molele
Johannesburg water systems are gradually recovering following a planned maintenance shutdown by Rand Water from December 13 to December 16, which left numerous residents without water for days, according to Joburg mayor Dada Morero.
Speaking during a site visit to the Honeydew Reservoir and Tower in Roodepoort on Wednesday, Morero told reporters that Johannesburg water systems are on the path to recovery after the planned Rand Water maintenance.
“I am pleased to announce that we are already seeing signs of recovery in several systems, including those in Commando, Eagle Nest, Randburg Waterval, Witpoortjie, Soweto, and Horizon. We are now beginning the process of reopening reservoir outlets, allowing us to restore supply as much as possible. The combination of these efforts will prevent losing systems and aid in speeding up recovery,” said Morero.
“As many of you know, our water systems have faced significant challenges due to the planned maintenance conducted by Rand Water from December 13 to 16, 2024. This maintenance, while essential for the long-term sustainability of our water supply, has temporarily disrupted our normal operations and underscored the importance of our response mechanisms.”
The mayor also stressed the importance of sustainable water management.
“Our priority is sustainable water supply. With reservoirs gradually improving, we ask residents to continue using water sparingly and adhere to Level 1 water restrictions to support system recovery. Together with Johannesburg Water and law enforcement, we’re ensuring safe water delivery and protection of our resources during the recovery process,” said Morero.
“We are committed to ensuring that all residents have water by Christmas Day, as it is vital for both residents and visitors. This work was essential. Between Johannesburg Water and Rand Water, we have reinforced our connections, which should lead to fewer major issues in 2025 compared to 2024.”
Morero said Johannesburg Water has been working diligently to ensure that water delivery continues effectively, especially to vulnerable communities.
“I would like to reassure our residents that we are actively addressing these challenges through a series of strategic interventions designed to assist in the recovery of the affected water systems,” said Morero.
“These interventions include the reconfiguration of our emergency water truck services, increasing operational capacity to provide more than the initially planned 75 trucks to informal settlements; establishing two self-help filling points at Johannesburg Water depots in Southdale and Hamberg to ensure residents have direct access to water resources.”
“… identifying and utilizing strategically located fire hydrants across all regions as alternative filling points for our water trucks; strengthening security measures with tactical escorts for our trucks to ensure the safe transport of water to those in need; and collaborating closely with community councillors to facilitate access to boreholes and other non-traditional water sources.”
Johannesburg Water noted that the maintenance aimed to address the historical design of the engine rooms at the Eikenhof pump station.
Originally designed as interrelated systems, the three engine rooms were suitable when Eikenhof served a smaller customer base.
However, with rising demand, the upgrade seeks to make the engine rooms independent and more flexible.
The areas impacted by Eikenhof shutdown included Randburg, Roodepoort, Soweto, Johannesburg Central, and the Commando area, which includes Brixton, Hursthill, and Crosby.
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