Government has acknowledged the severe hardship faced by residents, businesses and communities across Gauteng following widespread water supply disruptions caused by Rand Water’s planned infrastructure maintenance in December 2025.

According to a statement issued on December 21, an urgent meeting was convened on 19 December by the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Gauteng Premier, bringing together Rand Water, provincial authorities, the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Water. The meeting assessed the impact of the maintenance and agreed on interventions to stabilise supply.

The first phase of maintenance, carried out between 13 and 15 December, included refurbishment work and Eskom-related maintenance at the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant. This resulted in the depletion of the Palmiet, Zwartkopjes and Mapleton systems, which required careful recharging after the shutdown. Government confirmed that these systems have since recovered and are now operating at full pumping capacity, with ongoing recovery across municipal networks

However, intermittent supply and low water pressure persist in parts of Johannesburg, particularly in higher-lying areas supplied by the Erand Reservoir. Areas such as Noordwyk, Halfway House, Carlswald, parts of Kyalami and surrounding suburbs continue to experience challenges, with technical teams working to remove airlocks and stabilise the system

Rand Water has cancelled a second phase of planned maintenance scheduled for 19 to 21 December due to a valve fault, restoring supply to affected meters to ensure continuity of service. A third phase is scheduled for 6 to 8 January 2026, affecting parts of Mogale City, Rand West and Johannesburg, while a final phase on 16 to 17 January will temporarily reduce supply to parts of Emfuleni Local Municipality

Government apologised for the inconvenience, stressing that the maintenance is essential to ensure the long-term reliability of the water supply system.