Residents, businesses and institutions across the City of Ekurhuleni and surrounding communities are being urged to prepare for planned water supply interruptions as Rand Water undertakes Phase Two of its major infrastructure maintenance programme from Friday, 17 July to Sunday, 19 July 2026.
According to the City of Ekurhuleni, the maintenance will affect the Palmiet, Zwartkopjes and Mapleton water systems, with different areas experiencing reduced water pressure or complete water outages at various times during the maintenance period.
Communities that could be affected include Germiston, Edenvale, Boksburg, Kempton Park, Thembisa, Katlehong, Thokoza, Vosloorus, Tsakani, Brakpan, Springs, Benoni, Daveyton, Etwatwa, Duduza, Nigel and parts of Kwa-Thema.
The City said alternative water supply will be provided through stationary water tanks and roaming water tankers. Residents are encouraged to monitor the City’s official communication platforms for updates on the locations of these tankers.
Businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and other institutions have been advised to store enough water to meet their daily needs, or to have sufficient reserves for at least 36 hours, to minimise disruptions to their operations.
The municipality also warned that water supply will not return to normal immediately after the maintenance work has been completed.
The recovery and stabilisation of the Rand Water and municipal distribution systems could take up to two weeks, particularly in high-lying areas and communities supplied through pumping systems.
Residents are therefore encouraged to continue using water sparingly during the recovery period.
Maintenance schedule
17 July (07:00โ19:00 | 12 hours)
Eskom maintenance at the Zuikerbosch system will reduce pumping to the Palmiet and Zwartkopjes systems, resulting in low water pressure or no water in several areas, including parts of Germiston, Edenvale, Kempton Park, Thembisa, Katlehong, Thokoza, Boksburg, Benoni, Vosloorus, Tsakani, Brakpan, Springs, Daveyton and Etwatwa. Recovery in some areas may take up to two days.
17 July (07:00) to 19 July (19:00 | 60 hours)
Cross-connections on the M11 pipeline within the Mapleton system will interrupt water supply to parts of Brakpan, Springs, Kwa-Thema, Duduza and Nigel. Residents in these areas are advised that some communities could experience no water during the shutdown, while full system recovery may take between 7 and 14 days after maintenance has been completed.
The City of Ekurhuleni has appealed to all residents to use water responsibly before, during and after the maintenance period to help restore the network as quickly as possible.
