Concerns over “smelly” and contaminated water quality in parts of Johannesburg have been alleviated after Joburg Water confirmed that most samples now meet drinking water standards. The utility issued an alert last week, 30 December 2025, over possible water contamination affecting Albertina Sisulu Road and surrounding streets (6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th avenues, as well as 10th Street) in the Joburg CBD and Bez Valley. This comes afterresidents reported a strong smell emanating from their piped and tap wateron Monday, 29 December 2025.
In an update on Monday, 5 January 2026, Johannesburg Water said the water is free of contamination. “As part of the ongoing investigation and interventions, the most recent water quality test results show no detection of E. coli at any sampling points, confirming that there is currently no evidence of faecal contamination in the affected section of the network.
From a public health perspective, the system is therefore considered clear of faecal pollution. “However, tests do show elevated total coliform levels commonly found in soil. The presence of these organisms is not unusual under such conditions and can be effectively managed through optimal chlorination,” Johannesburg Water said.
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To address this, Johannesburg Water said it is boosting chlorine dosing where required, while ongoing monitoring and repeat sampling continue to track progress and ensure water quality meets SANS standards. “With the current improvement trajectory in the water quality by the observed quality levels, it can be expected that normal supply could be restored within the next couple of days. “At the moment, the initially impacted area remains isolated and inaccessible to the consumer until Johannesburg Water deems the systems fully safe for consumption,” Johannesburg Water said.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg residents will have to contend with limited or no water supply for three to five days in a54-hour maintenanceschedule. The third leg of Rand Water’s planned maintenance on its systems is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, 6 January, at 4am until Thursday, 8 January, at 8am.
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