Water Outages in Midrand Due to Rand Water’s Ongoing Maintenance Work
Residents in Midrand and surrounding areas are grappling with water outages due to planned maintenance at Rand Water’s Palmiet Pump Station. This vital infrastructure, which supplies water to much of Johannesburg, including Sandton and Midrand, is undergoing a phased upgrade, impacting water supply across multiple regions.
Affected Areas
Water outages and low pressure are currently affecting the following areas:
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randjieslaagte
- Alexandra Park
- South Hills Tower
- Linksfield Reservoirs
As the Palmiet Pump Station is operating at reduced capacity during the maintenance period, reservoirs that serve these areas are slowly being depleted. This has led to widespread disruptions in water supply, with some regions facing complete outages.
Why Are There Water Outages?
The outage stems from the second phase of maintenance work at the Palmiet Pump Station. Beginning in mid-July, this work has reduced the station’s pumping capacity to just 68%, with the process expected to last for approximately 50 hours. During this time, the supply of water to critical reservoirs, including those serving Sandton and Midrand, has been significantly diminished.
Expected Recovery Time
Johannesburg Water, the entity responsible for managing water distribution, has stated that it will take several days for the water systems to fully recover once the maintenance work is completed. However, the areas served by the Midrand and Sandton reservoirs may experience extended recovery times as these reservoirs will need to refill before normal supply can resume.
In the interim, Johannesburg Water has advised residents to stay updated by following their official social media channels for the latest information on the water outage and recovery efforts.
Impact on Residents
The ongoing water outages have left many residents in Midrand and Sandton scrambling for alternatives. Many have resorted to buying bottled water or using emergency water tanks to mitigate the inconvenience. Local authorities have encouraged residents to use water sparingly during this time, as recovery will not be instantaneous once maintenance is completed.
The water shortages come at a particularly challenging time, as Johannesburg is also dealing with energy outages in various parts, leading to further disruption of daily life.
The Midrand water outage is expected to last until maintenance at Rand Water’s Palmiet Pump Station is fully completed. In the meantime, affected residents are urged to remain patient and use water wisely. Johannesburg Water has committed to keeping the public informed as the situation progresses, with full recovery anticipated a few days after the conclusion of the maintenance work.
Also read: Water Shortages: 8 Million South Africans Could Soon Face a Water Crisis
