Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero says the city’s water supply is improving, following water outages and low pressure since 19 October 2026.
The Mayor briefed media on the situation on Monday afternoon.
“Overall storage across Johannesburg’s water supply system has improved to 41%, up from 37% yesterday. Our teams are adjusting water flows, bulk meters and network pressures to manage available storage and direct supply to struggling parts of the network.
“Residents may experience reduced pressure or temporary interruptions while this work is underway. Restoration is being managed gradually so that we do not overwhelm the network or drain recovering reservoirs, and teams are releasing trapped air from pipelines to clear airlocks that restrict flow,” Morero stated.
He acknowledged the frustrations residents have felt due to disruptions in the water supply.
“Residents are now in their second week of disruption, and some households have had dry taps for more than 10 days. We acknowledge the frustration this has caused. Restoring a reliable water supply remains our priority,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to continue using water sparingly as work continues.
Status of reservoirs
Morero noted that in the Commando system, Brixton Reservoir 1, is at approximately 91%, with its outlet fully open, while Brixton Reservoir 2 is at approximately 50%.
The Hursthill 2 interlink has been opened further to increase supply to Crosby, Brixton and Hursthill.
"Recovery across the Central systems remains mixed. Parktown Reservoir is still very low, and teams are working to improve inflows. Yeoville Reservoir has recovered to above 40%, with two pumps operating and supply restored.
“Inflows into Alexander Park have improved, restoring supply to most of the zone, although high-lying areas remain affected. South Hills tower is at approximately 69%, and Berea Reservoir improved overnight to above 60% with its outlet fully open.
"Storage across the Sandton systems improved overnight to approximately 37%, from 27% yesterday. Levels remain low, however, and the Bryanston and Illovo pumping stations are operating on bypass. Bryanston, Illovo and Morningside remain under active management,” the Mayor stated.
The Grand Central Reservoir in Midrand remains very low, with pumping to the tower suspended.
“Erand Reservoir is at approximately 35%, with its outlet fully open, improving supply to Kyalami, Noordwyk and Vorna Valley, although inflows remain low. President Park Reservoir is at approximately 67%, but Ivory Park, Allandale and Kaalfontein continue to experience challenges.
"In the Randburg–Roodepoort systems, Honeydew continues to experience very low inflows and reservoir levels, despite a slight improvement overnight.
“Sundowner, Northriding and Northgate remain affected, and a technical team has been deployed to investigate. Waterval and Quellerina towers have water and supply has been restored. Parts of Cosmo City, including Extension 0, remain affected, but throttling was lifted yesterday afternoon, and the reservoir is receiving water,” Morero explained.
In Soweto, areas such as Power Park, Chiawelo, Protea Glen, Meadowlands, Zondi, Noordgesig, Diepkloof Extension, Eldorado Park and Pimville were affected by network configurations implemented to support recovery at Rand Water’s Meredale Reservoir.
“Throttling was lifted yesterday, the affected reservoirs are recovering, and teams are monitoring and stabilising these systems. Crown Gardens Reservoir and Tower are both at 100% and supplying water.
“Across the network, teams are prioritising the prompt isolation of burst pipes and leaks, faster repairs and the clearing of outstanding service delivery backlogs,” Morero said.
SA Human Rights Commission findings
Turning to the findings of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on the water situation in Gauteng, Morero said the city welcomes the recommendations.
The city will engage Rand Water on implementation and the challenges identified and those which are already being addressed.
“We will build on this work to improve water and sanitation services for our residents. Johannesburg Water is also building a fully municipality-owned water tanker fleet to reduce its reliance on outsourced contractors, following a Council resolution in the 2023/24 financial year to insource this service. Because of budget constraints, this is being done in phases.
“We recognise that improving reservoir levels offers little comfort to residents whose taps remain dry. Our immediate focus is to turn system recovery into a stable supply for every affected household,” Morero concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
