Johannesburg residents are being urged to prepare for possible water disruptions ahead of Rand Water's final phase of planned maintenance, scheduled for next week.
The 12-hour shutdown will take place on 17 July from 7:00am to 7:00pm, with areas supplied by the affected systems expected to experience low water pressure or complete water outages during the maintenance period.
Rand Water has warned that normal water supply may not resume immediately after the work is completed, as some systems could take several days to fully recover.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala encouraged residents to store enough water before the shutdown and to use it sparingly while the network stabilises.
"During this 12-hour maintenance, customers supplied by the Sandton, Midrand, Linksfield, South Hills, Crown Gardens, Commando, which comprises Brixton, Crosby and Hursthill, Randburg, Roodepoort, Soweto and Lenasia systems will experience low water pressure for the duration of the maintenance. Residents are urged to use water sparingly," said Shabalala.
Meanwhile, residents of the Lesedi Local Municipality have received temporary relief after Rand Water suspended its planned 20% reduction in water supply following several days of community protests.
The decision was reached after a meeting involving the Gauteng Provincial Government, the Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water and the Lesedi Local Municipality.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said a technical team has been given seven days to develop a recovery plan to address the municipality's long-standing water debt, improve revenue collection, reduce water losses and ensure a more reliable water supply.
Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the suspension of the planned supply reduction would remain in place while the recovery plan is being implemented.
"As part of the agreement, the previously implemented 20% reduction in water supply by Rand Water will remain suspended while the recovery process is underway. This decision will provide much-needed relief to residents and businesses as technical work continues," Mhlanga said.
Authorities have urged affected residents to make the necessary preparations ahead of next week's maintenance and to continue using water responsibly as efforts to stabilise the system continue.