These Joburg areas will experience water outages or low pressure for 24 hours
Johannesburg residents in certain areas will face water outages or low pressure due to Rand Water’s maintenance work on the O2 pipeline.
Rand Water has announced essential maintenance on its Palmiet System, which services the Sandton and Midrand areas of Joburg Water. The maintenance, scheduled for 25-26 January, will involve repairing a leak on the O2 pipeline. During this time, Rand Water will isolate the pipeline, temporarily cutting off the water supply to facilitate the repairs.
Johannesburg Water has confirmed that the maintenance will impact several areas. Sandton systems and parts of Midrand, including Klipfontein View, Allandale, President Park, Halfway House, and Diepsloot, are expected to experience low pressure or no water for the duration.
Prepare for temporary disruptions
Residents in affected areas are advised to prepare for the 24-hour disruption. Johannesburg Water has emphasised the importance of storing water for essential use and exploring alternative measures such as rainwater harvesting for non-drinking purposes.
The utility also assesses the need for alternative water provisions, including deploying water tankers, depending on the state of its systems closer to the time.
Ongoing Water Challenges in Johannesburg
This maintenance comes amid Joburg’s broader water crisis, worsened by illegal connections in informal settlements. Johannesburg Water has revealed plans to crack down on these connections, contributing significantly to water losses.
Spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said, “While the entity will ensure that water supply is not interrupted and that water tankers are deployed and refilled regularly, residents in informal settlements are urged to take care of water tanks to help maintain basic services for the community.”
Residents in informal settlements have been asked to cooperate by safeguarding water tanks and promptly reporting any water shortages to ensure the uninterrupted supply of basic services.