JOHANNESBURG - The third stage of Rand Water’s infrastructure maintenance project begins on Tuesday after being delayed to the new year.
The City of Johannesburg and Rand Water gave a joint media briefing ahead of the work; to let residents know what the effect of the maintenance will be.
In December, Rand Water’s extended maintenance, left communities without water beyond the planned 48-hour shutdown.
The next leg of the infrastructure maintenance, beginning on Tuesday, is anticipated to take over three days to complete.
Johannesburg executive mayor Dada Morero said, "The 54-hour maintenance at the Eikenhof System is part of an essential upgrades to critical bulk water infrastructure. These improvements are necessary to enhance the long-term reliability and sustainability of water supply."
"The affected Johannesburg Water systems include: Meadowlands Reservoir 1 and 2, including direct feeds, Braamfischer Reservoir, Doornkop Reservoir, Fleuhhof Reservoir & Roodepoort Deep Reservoir."
"Residents may experience low pressure. Once maintenance ends and pumping resumes on 8 January, water supply will not return immediately."
"The system will need up to seven days to stabilise as reservoirs refill and pressure balances across the network," he said.
The mayor stated that contingency plans are being implemented including standing and roving water tankers, standby teams, and ongoing communication through councillors and social media.
💧 Recovery takes time
During maintenance, reservoirs will lose stored water & must be refilled from very low levels. While the maintenance ends on 8 Jan, JW systems take 3–5 days to fully recover.
Affected: Meadowlands|Fleurhof| Doornkop|Roodepoort Deep| Braamfischerville pic.twitter.com/gnONvs84xZ— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) January 5, 2026
REMINDER: Maintenance on the Eikenhof system will take place from 6–8 Jan 2026, affecting parts of Soweto & Roodepoort.
💧 No pumping for the duration of the maintenance
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📍 Check if your area is affected#RandWaterMaintenance #JoburgServices pic.twitter.com/lrImZA2tG6— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) January 5, 2026