Johannesburg Water is prioritising repairs to leaks and bursts to ease pressure on the city’s strained water supply system.

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed the city is experiencing increased pressure on the system as rising temperatures contribute to higher consumption. “We sincerely empathise with the frustration and hardship experienced by residents affected by water supply challenges,” Shabalala said. “The entity understands that access to water is essential to everyday life, and that prolonged or recurring interruptions place a significant burden on households, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and other community services.”

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She added that this increased demand is placing pressure on the bulk water supply system and affecting the ability of reservoirs and towers to maintain sufficient storage. “Over the past few weeks, as temperatures soared, the City of Johannesburg has continued to experience week-on-week high water consumption. The effects of El Niño have also placed additional pressure on the region’s water resources and supply systems.”

Shabalala said the increased demand adds an additional challenge to an already strained network. “This includes the Honeydew reservoir and tower, which supply water to residents in Sundowner and surrounding areas.”

The ongoing disruptions have frustrated Ward 99 councillor Hendrik Bodenstein, who said Johannesburg Water has yet to provide a definitive explanation for the problems affecting his area. He said the water challenges began around August 26 and have continued for more than two months, with repeated interruptions rather than one continuous outage. “We need answers, not speculation. The fact that we still don’t have a definitive diagnosis over 60 days is unacceptable,” he said.

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Despite this setback, Bodenstein said he had continued pushing for answers and accountability. “Robindale has also been hard hit, along with surrounding areas supplied by the Linden 1 system,” he said. “Some residents experience intermittent supply, while others go days without water. The impact is widespread but varies considerably between streets.”

He said the situation was particularly concerning as Johannesburg faced further water restrictions and excessive consumption. “Residents are being told to use water sparingly, yet we have municipal infrastructure that isn’t functioning and leaks that remain unattended,” he said.

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