Following the first phase of Rand Water's scheduled maintenance at Zuikerbosch, Johannesburg's water supply has seen significant disruptions, with low reservoir levels prompting controlled shutdowns in areas like Sandton, Midrand, and central networks. Officials briefed on recovery on December 17, with water tankers supporting affected residents amid ongoing phases.
In a December 17, 2025, media briefing in Midrand, Johannesburg City Manager Floyd Brink detailed the impacts of Rand Water's first maintenance phase at Zuikerbosch (December 13-15), which reduced supply across interconnected systems including Power-mid, Swartkoppies, and Eikenhof. This led to critically low reservoir levels and controlled shutdowns to protect essential infrastructure, affecting Sandton, Midrand, and central networks.
Brink stated, “The Johannesburg water network was also reduced and at some stages some of it was also stopped... As a result, some of our reservoir levels dropped to critical operating levels, requiring controlled shutdowns in the City.”
Johannesburg Water Managing Director Ntshavheni Mukwevho announced support measures, including 67 water tankers and 150 stationary tanks deployed, with numbers expected to decrease as recovery progresses. EiSD MMC Jack Sekwaila highlighted advancements post-phase one, with further phases at Eikenhof scheduled for late December and early January.
This update follows pre-maintenance briefings outlining the full program through January 8, 2026. It underscores Gauteng's water vulnerabilities, with related issues in Foschville and Merafong. Tankers will continue until full restoration.