Joburg Water warns of major water outages coming to these regions next week

2026-03-05 - 09:23

Joburg Water has announced a series of planned maintenance shutdowns affecting thousands of residents across five city regions on 10 and 12 March 2026. This comes as the utility presses ahead with infrastructure upgrades to improve long-term water supply reliability. The disruptions, confirmed in the utility’s daily water supply system status, will affect large parts of the north, east, and south of the city, with low pressure or complete water outages lasting several hours. Kensington and surrounding areas brace for seven-day water maintenance Region F residents face the most extensive maintenance programme by Joburg Water. The utility announced that the seven-day water interruption will commence from 9 March 7am to 15 March 3pm. Affected areas include: Kensington; Kensington South; Denver; Malvern East; Cleveland; Jeppestown; Malvern; and George Goch. The outage will affect all streets in the affected areas. According to the water utility, the water interruption is to allow its team to “conduct a dummy run for a period of six days prior to commencing with structural repairs inside the reservoir”. Joburg water urged residents to report anomalies during the specified period. “Customers will be supplied through a bypass pipeline during the dummy run period,” the utility said. It added that water supply alternatives are to be advised. Randpark Ridge faces eight-hour shutdown Residents of Randpark Ridge extension 74 will lose their water supply on 10 March 2026, between 8am and 4pm, as crews work on connecting new infrastructure to the existing network. The shutdown is limited to Benguela Avenue. Joburg Water said the interruption is necessary to carry out the “tie-in of a new pipe to existing infrastructure”. The utility confirmed customers would have no water for the duration of the works. Regarding alternative supply arrangements, Joburg Water said that this was “to be advised”. The utility added that the maintenance will deliver “improved service delivery and continuity of water supply” to the area once complete. ALSO READ: More than half of South Africans experience water outages Alexandra, Linbro Park and surrounding areas face an 18-hour shutdown The most wide-reaching single disruption is set to affect Region E. Those residing in the areas below will lose water for nearly the entire day on 10 March: Linbro Park; Lakeside; Alexandra; Marlboro; Eastgate; and Buccleuch. The shutdown begins at 6am and is scheduled to last until 11.59pm, affecting all streets in these areas. Joburg Water reiterated the outage was to “tie-in the new water pipe to the existing mainline”, which was part of the broader infrastructure upgrade programme running across the city. Customers in all six affected suburbs should prepare for no water throughout the day. “Further details are to be provided,” the utility said regarding alternative water supply points, urging residents to watch for follow-up announcements. As with the other planned stoppages, Joburg Water described the long-term outcome as “improved service delivery and continuity of water supply”. ALSO READ: Illegal business blocks critical Rand Water infrastructure Stretford extension 4 residents face low pressure or no water Also on 10 March, residents in Stretford extension 4, in Region G, will experience disruptions between 8am and 5pm as crews carry out the relocation of a water reticulation pipeline. All streets in the extension are affected. Unlike the complete outages anticipated elsewhere, Johannesburg Water noted that the impact in this area may range from low pressure to no water entirely, depending on conditions during the works. The interruption is described as a “tie-in for the relocation of water reticulation pipeline”. The utility again noted that “further details are to be provided” on alternative water supply points for affected households. It said the works will ultimately yield “improved service delivery and continuity of water supply” for the community once the pipeline relocation was finalised. Sweeping north Joburg shutdowns The largest planned maintenance operation affects Region A, where an extensive list of suburbs in the northern parts of Johannesburg will lose water on 12 March 2026, from 9am to 9pm. All streets in the affected areas are included. Impacted suburbs include: Carlswald; Erands; Summerset; Noordwyk; Sagewood extensions 18, 19, 20, 23 and 24; Crowthorne; Kyalami AH; Kyalami Gardens; Kyalami Estates; Kyalami Ridge; Kyalami Heights; Kyalami Hills; Barbeque Downs; Vorna Valley; Jukskei View, specifically south of the N1 and north of the Jukskei River; and Blue Hills extensions 9 and 8. Joburg Water attributed the disruption to “Erand Tower tie-in and the infrastructure upgrades along Walton Road.” The utility confirmed that customers across all affected areas should expect no water for the duration of the 12-hour window. Notably, Region A residents have been provided with specific alternative water supply locations: Noordwyk Spar; Crowthorne Spar; Beaulieu at the corner of Lourens and Papenfus Drive; Kyalami Corner; Kyalami Prep School; Barbeque Downs at Shakespeare and Dickens; George and 15th Road; Midway Mews Spar; Sasol Garage on Waterfall Drive; and Mushroom Farm Shopping Centre. Joburg Water said the project will deliver “improved service delivery and continuity of water supply” to the large area once works are concluded. READ NEXT: ‘Without water, we will die’: Limpopo rocked by water shortages after floods