While water supply has been restored across Gauteng, Rand Water has warned that excessive consumption in Pretoria and Johannesburg continues to strain the system.

Rand Water has confirmed that its water supply systems have fully recovered, with pumping now operating at full capacity following recent disruptions across Gauteng.

According to Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo, the utility is currently producing about 5 000 million litres of water per day, with 77% of this supply consumed by three Gauteng metros, which are Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni.

“The continued high-water consumption results in Rand Water overstretching its assets to accommodate demand,” Maroo said.

Following a recent power outage, Rand Water acknowledged that some areas experienced slower recovery, including Midrand in Johannesburg, Laudium and Attridgeville in Pretoria, as well as parts of Tembisa in Ekurhuleni.

“While supply interruptions are still being experienced in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, these have been minimal compared to the more severe disruptions recorded in Midrand.”

Maroo said Midrand faces a longstanding challenge of excessive water usage, worsened by the rapid growth of both formal and informal settlements.

She added that Johannesburg Water has embarked on infrastructure upgrades in the area to increase supply capacity.

Meanwhile, the Tshwane metro confirmed that full water supply was restored across all affected areas on February 4.

Tshwane Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, said all reservoirs, including those in previously sensitive zones, have fully recovered and are now supplying water normally.

“This recovery indicates that the Palmiet system has been fully pressurised and is operating reliably,” said Moya.

Emergency water tankers deployed during the outage have since been withdrawn, as communities are once again receiving a consistent water supply.

Moya cautioned that some areas may experience temporary reservoir overflows during the stabilisation process and urged residents to report visible overflows or excessive water losses.

The metro apologised for the inconvenience caused and thanked residents for their patience and co-operation, while both Rand Water and the metro reiterated calls for responsible water use to protect the stability of the supply system.

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