Johannesburg residents are facing a series of significant water outages throughout July 2025, primarily due to planned infrastructure maintenance and urgent repairs by Rand Water and Johannesburg Water[1][5]. The disruptions are affecting multiple areas across the city and neighboring municipalities, with both short-term and extended outages expected.
Latest Major Outages and Maintenance Plans:
- 7-Day Outage: Johannesburg Water has announced a seven-day outage for several areas linked to extensive repairs and a regional meter replacement programme. The most immediate disruption is at the Crown Garden Towers, where repairs began on 8 July and will continue until 15 July, causing low pressure during peak hours[1][5].
- 3-Day Palmiet System Maintenance: A large-scale shutdown is scheduled for the Palmiet system, affecting Sandton, Alexander Park Reservoir, South Hills Tower, Randjieslaagte Reservoir, Linksfield Reservoir, and Midrand systems. This work will run from 15 July at 5am through 18 July at 8pm, with residents expecting low pressure to no water[1][5].
- Crown Gardens Tower: Residents have experienced reduced pressure as urgent repairs continue until 15 July[5].
- Rand Water Meter Replacement: Both magnetic flow and mechanical meters at multiple reservoirs are being replaced or serviced, which Johannesburg Water warns may impact system stability and water supply recovery times[1][3].
- Wide-Scale 14-Hour Outages: Many neighborhoods, including Cosmo City, Montgomery Park, Forest Hill, Newlands, and Albertville, are experiencing repeated 14-hour outages in June and July 2025 as part of the infrastructure upgrade. The work involves shutting down reservoirs and installing pressure-reducing valves to stabilise supply[3].
- Water Tankers and Recovery: During outages, water tankers are being deployed, though there have been concerns over delays or lack of coverage in some areas. Authorities warn that recovery after scheduled maintenance can take from one to three days, or up to 14 days for high-lying or critically affected areas such as those on the Commando system[4].
These planned outages and ongoing disruptions are part of a broader water crisis in Johannesburg, tied to years of underinvestment and neglected infrastructure. Residents have grown accustomed to water interruptions, and the current repairs are part of a major drive to stabilise supply in the long run[2].
The city has urged all affected residents to store water and prepare for possible delays in the resumption of normal supply once maintenance has concluded. Updates and area-specific information are being provided through Johannesburg Water’s official channels and social media.