Johannesburg residents have been urged to prepare for possible low water pressure and temporary outages as Rand Water’s planned maintenance begins on Saturday. Johannesburg Water briefed the media at its Langlaagte depot on Friday, outlining its state of readiness for the shutdown and announcing the launch of a new water tanker fleet that will support communities during the disruptions. Rand Water will carry out maintenance on its bulk infrastructure in three phases: December 13 to 15, December 19 to 21 and January 6 to 8.
The process is aimed at improving long-term reliability of the system but the work will restrict the flow of bulk supply into Johannesburg Water’s network over the next four weeks. Areas connected to the Palmiet, Zwartkopjes, Daleside and Eikenhof systems, including Midrand, Sandton, Soweto, South Hills, Lenasia, Orange Farm and parts of the central region, are likely to feel the strain. Johannesburg Water board members said the immediate focus is mitigating the short-term impact on residents.
“The maintenance is unavoidable and necessary, but we know it will be an inconvenience. This briefing is about preparedness, transparency and reassurance,” the board said. To manage the supply constraints, the utility has activated a detailed operational plan.
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This includes early-warning notices, daily public updates, co-ordination with Rand Water and city structures, technical interventions across the network and community-support measures where outages may occur. A key part of its readiness is the launch of Johannesburg Water’s own water tanker fleet, a major investment that will ensure hospitals, clinics and affected neighbourhoods have access to alternative supply when needed. The fleet strengthens emergency response capacity and reduces reliance on external service providers.
The move forms part of the entity’s TAS24 turnaround strategy, which focuses on stabilising operations and improving customer experience. The board said it will continue to monitor reservoir levels and oversee contingency measures throughout the shutdown period, while long-term infrastructure upgrades remain a priority. Johannesburg Water thanked its staff for their work under pressure and urged residents to save water and follow official communication channels. “With the first maintenance phase starting tomorrow, we appeal for patience and responsible water use,” the board said.
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