7 day water outages coming to these Joburg areas

Johannesburg Water has announced a series of planned maintenance operations across multiple areas of the city that will impact water supply throughout July, with some work extending into mid-month.

The maintenance schedule includes both local infrastructure repairs and regional meter replacements that could affect thousands of residents.

Unplanned Crown Gardens Tower work underway

The most immediate disruption affects Crown Gardens Tower, where urgent structural repairs began on 8 July and are scheduled to continue until 15 July.

Johannesburg Water indicated that residents in the Crown Gardens Tower area may experience low water pressure during peak demand periods as crews work to complete the necessary repairs.

The utility company stated that the work would result in “improved service delivery” once completed.

ALSO READ: Rand Water maintenance deepens Joburg water crisis

Palmiet system water repairs

The most extensive maintenance project affects the Palmiet system, impacting multiple Johannesburg Water systems, including:

• Sandton systems
• Alexander Park Reservoir
• South Hills Tower
• Randjieslaagte Reservoir
• Linksfield Reservoir
• Midrand systems

This maintenance is scheduled from 15 July at 5am until 18 July at 8pm.

The three-day maintenance window addresses repairs on the O2 Pipeline, which serves as a critical component of the regional water distribution network.

Johannesburg Water indicated that residents across various streets in the affected systems should expect low pressure to no water during this period.

ALSO READ: Water outages: City ramps up water tankers as taps run dry in these Joburg areas

Rand Water meter replacement programme

A broader maintenance initiative involves Rand Water’s replacement of bulk magnetic flow and mechanical meters at various reservoirs throughout the region.

According to Johannesburg Water, this meter replacement programme “may impact Johannesburg Water’s systems” and could result in poor pressure or no water during maintenance periods.

The utility warned residents that recovery time following each maintenance completion could be significant.

“After each maintenance has been completed, it may take between one and three days for the system to fully recover, and for normal water supply to return,” Johannesburg Water stated in their announcement.

Zuurbekom and Orlando Power Station South

The first major regional maintenance event is scheduled for 21 July in the Zuurbekom area, specifically affecting Orlando Power Station South.

The work will run from 8am to 2pm, with various streets experiencing low pressure to no water as crews focus on replacing mechanical meters.

Johannesburg Water indicated this work would provide “improved service delivery and continuity of water” to the affected areas.

ALSO READ: Rand Water maintenance progressing as planned

Forest Hill maintenance

Forest Hill residents around the Abattoir and Market areas will face a more extended disruption on 30 July, with maintenance scheduled from 6am to 8pm.

The 14-hour maintenance window involves replacing magnetic flow meters across various streets in the area.

Similar to other maintenance projects, Johannesburg Water emphasised that the work would result in “improved service delivery and continuity of water” for residents.

The utility emphasised that the pipeline repair would provide “improved service delivery and continuity of water supply” once completed.

Customer impact and preparation

Johannesburg Water advised residents in all affected areas to prepare for potential water shortages during the scheduled maintenance periods.

The utility company noted that the combination of local repairs and regional meter replacements represents a comprehensive effort to upgrade the city’s water infrastructure.

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