Contractors have returned to the site of the long-delayed Hursthill 2 reservoir rehabilitation project, with Johannesburg Water setting a revised completion date of April 8, 2027.

The development comes after repeated project delays, including periods when contractors were off site because of payment-related issues.

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Contractors downed tools in protest on August 7 over non-payment, with Johannesburg Water acknowledging on the same day that current payment challenges were not unique to any single service provider, but affected a number of suppliers across the entity.

Democratic Alliance Ward 87 councillor candidate Jonathan Thompson visited the site on September 23 and welcomed the return of contractors, saying payments were being made and that renewed activity provided positive news.

He said Johannesburg Water had previously indicated that the reservoir would only be completed early next year, but believed work could finish sooner if payments continued on time. Thompson said the actual pace of work needed monitoring as he had not received an updated percentage of completion.

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Thompson said continued payment of contractors would be vital to prevent further stoppages. “The contractor getting the payments that they require to continue the work is a very good thing. It means that the project can move,” he said.

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed that the contractor returned to the site on August 31, but noted no significant progress occurred until September 21, when the specialist service provider also returned.

Since the contractor’s return, work has included breaking boulders during guardhouse excavation, excavating the foundation trench, and relocating services, Shabalala said.

Teams have also excavated reservoir subsoil drainage, removed the existing palisade fence, installed Combiflex bandages on reservoir joints, and applied a cementitious liner to the reservoir.

Shabalala said the project is progressing in line with the revised programme of works, with completion moved from September 29 to April 8, 2027.

The remaining work includes sealing and lining the reservoir and refurbishing the existing bypass pipeline, including associated valves and fittings.

Request for comment was to sent to JW regarding supposed risk of future payment-related stoppages. This story will be updated once received.

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