No pay, no progress as Hursthill 2 reservoir upgrade grinds to another halt
Johannesburg Water has confirmed payment delays have stalled work on the Hursthill 2 reservoir, pushing completion well into next year.
Residents waiting for more reliable water through the Commando Water System will have to wait even longer after Johannesburg Water (JW) confirmed that the rehabilitation of the Hursthill 2 reservoir has been pushed to 2027, extending delays to one of the city’s most critical water infrastructure projects.
This comes after Ward 87 councillor Kyle Jacobs raised concerns on July 2 that repeated delays to the reservoir’s rehabilitation and other Commando Water System upgrades were linked to the City’s failure to pay contractors, warning that communities from Emmarentia to Westbury could face prolonged water supply challenges if the projects continued to stall.
Read more: Normalair Underwater Club divers plunge into winter waters at Emmarentia Dam
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed that the project remains incomplete, with overall progress sitting at 20%, although work inside the reservoir has reached approximately 70%.
She said procurement delays for specialised materials, coupled with contractor cash-flow constraints caused by outstanding payments, had slowed construction, while the contractor is currently off-site.
The Hursthill 2 reservoir is a key component of Johannesburg Water’s Commando Water System, which supplies suburbs including Emmarentia, Victory Park, Melville, Brixton, Westbury, Coronationville and surrounding areas.
The reservoir rehabilitation forms part of a broader programme to improve storage capacity and stabilise water supply after years of recurring outages, low reservoir levels and pressure fluctuations across western and central Johannesburg.
Also read: Gas leak triggers early-morning fire at Jimmy’s in Northcliff
Construction was initially expected to be completed in April 2026 before being moved to July, then September, and has now been rescheduled to March 2027.
She added that the contractor is currently not on site because of the delayed payments. According to Shabalala, the rehabilitation includes:
- Repairing structural defects
- Replacing corroded reinforcemen
- Installing a cementitious lining system
- Refurbishing roof joints,
- Replacing valves and chlorination pipes, and constructing a new guardhouse.
“Contractor cash flow constraints due to outstanding payments have affected progress.
The necessary escalations have been made to address the outstanding payments and restore normal project momentum,” she said.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!
