Rand Water’s planned maintenance on a raw water pipe that supplies their Vereeniging purification plant means that parts of Johannesburg will face water cuts for at least 54 hours.
Johannesburg water cuts: Residents warned to not drink tap water
In a statement, Johannesburg Water explained that , due to Rand Water’s maintenance work, purification plants feeding areas in south, northern and western parts of the city will be without water until Wednesday 17 November 2021.
The purified water supplier also warned that this may also “result in poor-to-no-water supply during peak water demand periods in most high laying and high demand areas.”
Johannesburg residents are warned to avoid consuming water during this period.
Furthermore, the Gauteng Health Department confirmed, on Monday, that contingency plans are in place to “ensure health facilities in the municipal area are not adversely affected by the planned water interruptions.”
“Water tankers and mobile toilets have been deployed by Joburg Water in various health facilities such as Chris Hand Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital and Helen Joseph Hospital among others. This is in addition to existing reservoir resources in the various health facilities that fall in the affected areas of the planned water interruption,” the statement read.
Areas affected by Rand Water maintenance
These are the areas that will be affected by the Johannesburg water cuts between Monday and Wednesday 17 November 2021:
- The entire Roodepoort/Randburg area and parts of Northriding
- Langlaagte/Southdale region
- The entire Soweto area, including Klipspruit west
- Johannesburg CBD
- Sandton, including Saxonworld, Houghton Estate and Highlands North
- Lenasia
Ekurhuleni will not be affected by the 54-hour shutdown.
“The plant that is being maintained does not directly affect [City of Ekurhuleni] operations, and any change to the Rand Water plans will be communicated,” a statement from the metro read.
