Johannesburg Water has attributed weeks of supply problems in Melville to technical faults, emergency repairs, a major pipe burst and bulk-water pumping interruptions.

The explanation comes after residents protested over ongoing water problems, with the utility saying it had been communicating regularly with affected communities. Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the problems affecting Melville were initially caused by a technical fault on the Hursthill 2 reservoir Abercrombie interlink. “Melville is supplied by the Hursthill 2 reservoir, which forms part of the wider Commando system serving several areas,” she said.

Read more: Johannesburg Water details technical supply failures affecting Melville residents

Johannesburg Water began emergency repairs to the Hursthill 2 interlink valve on September 3. “The work was initially expected to be completed the following day, but technical challenges delayed the process. The repairs involved welding on the upstream section, installing and aligning the interlink valve and isolating the repair zone.”

Shabalala said the technical challenges were eventually resolved and the valve was successfully aligned, allowing the repair zone to be isolated. “This enabled the Crosby pump station to resume pumping to Hursthill 1 and the Brixton 1 and 2 complex.”

However, the situation was complicated again when a major pipe burst occurred on September 9, next to Westpark Cemetery on Judith Road. She added that the burst affected the Hursthill 2 supply zone and required the water supply to be isolated while emergency repairs were carried out.

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Shabalala said the technical team managed to locally isolate the affected pipeline, allowing repairs to proceed while most of the Hursthill 2 supply zone continued receiving water, depending on available bulk supply. The utility also received confirmation of an interruption at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch water treatment plant on September 9.

According to Shabalala, the interruption temporarily reduced pumping capacity at Eikenhof pumping station, which affected the Commando system and the Hursthill 2 supply zone. Pumping at Eikenhof was restored to full capacity around midday, but Johannesburg Water warned that the system would take time to recover.

After repairs to the Judith Road burst were completed, the technical team began gradually charging the repaired pipeline on the afternoon of September 9. Shabalala said the team continued monitoring the pipeline and wider system for further leaks.

The disruption was followed by another bulk-water setback on September 13, when Rand Water experienced a power outage at the Vereeniging pump station. The outage affected operations at the Eikenhof and Zwartkopjes pump stations, reducing pumping from both facilities to 50%. The reduction affected several Johannesburg Water systems, including the Commando system supplied by Eikenhof. Residents in affected areas experienced reduced pressure or interruptions as reservoir levels were affected by the lower bulk-water supply.

The impact extended beyond Melville, with Johannesburg Water saying systems in Soweto, Randburg, Roodepoort, Lenasia, the Deep South, Central and South Hills were also affected.

The power outage was resolved and pumping returned to 100% capacity at 03:00 on September 14. Despite the restoration of full pumping capacity, Johannesburg Water cautioned that this did not mean every affected area would immediately have a normal water supply. Shabalala said sensitive systems, such as the Commando system, can take time to recover as reservoirs replenish and the network gradually regains pressure. “The recovery is also dependent on the amount of draw off from the system as it tries to recover,” she said. The utility said residents should therefore expect the recovery process to depend on reservoir levels, network pressure and demand.

For Melville residents who have endured repeated interruptions, the utility’s explanation points to a combination of problems rather than a single fault: the initial Hursthill 2 interlink failure, technical difficulties during repairs, the Judith Road burst and interruptions to bulk-water pumping. The utility maintains that its technical teams have been working to restore the system while monitoring infrastructure following the repairs.

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