Johannesburg Water has warned that the city's water consumption is putting increasing pressure on the supply system, with daily demand currently exceeding the utility's target by around 200 megalitres.
The utility says residents, businesses, schools and hospitals are collectively using between 1,700 and 1,750 megalitres of water each day. This is significantly higher than the target supply of between 1,500 and 1,550 megalitres.
Johannesburg Water Operations Manager Gugulethu Quma says the utility has been forced to conserve water in reservoirs overnight to ensure sufficient supplies are available during periods of peak daytime demand.
He says the imbalance between supply and consumption is contributing to water throttling in some parts of the city.
Water throttling involves intentionally reducing or managing water flow, particularly during periods of lower demand, to protect reservoir levels and maintain supply.
Quma says water pressure is reduced during minimum night-flow periods to conserve capacity and manage the growing demand.
The utility is also redirecting water from areas where supply levels are relatively stable to communities facing greater constraints, including Commando and Tip South.
According to Johannesburg Water, these measures are intended to support a more equitable distribution of available water across the city's network while ensuring that critical areas continue receiving supplies.
Quma warned that the current level of consumption is unsustainable and said demand management measures are necessary to prevent further pressure on the system.
The utility is urging residents to use water responsibly as it works to balance limited supply with the city's growing demand.