National and Gauteng authorities have formed a dedicated working committee to address repeated electricity interruptions that have disrupted water flows from Rand Water’s Eikenhof supply system, officials announced following an urgent meeting on 8 September.
Scope of the problem
Reports presented at the meeting described how power outages have compromised treatment and bulk delivery processes at the Eikenhof system, with interruptions affecting municipal water supplies in Emfuleni, Johannesburg and the West Rand in Gauteng, and parts of the North West, including Madibeng and Rustenburg. The interruptions have, officials said, reduced the system’s ability to deliver a dependable supply to downstream municipalities.
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation convened the meeting on 8 September to bring together all role-players responsible for delivering and distributing water, as well as for providing electricity to critical infrastructure.
Who is on the committee
The joint working committee will be chaired by the Department of Water and Sanitation and include representatives from:
- Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
- Rand Water
- Johannesburg Water
- City Power
- Eskom
- Other relevant institutions involved in bulk water and electricity delivery
Senior government representatives who attended the stakeholder meeting included Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Jack Bloom, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero.
Mandate and immediate actions
The committee has been tasked with producing a response plan that sets out both immediate actions to manage the current disruptions and options for securing a more dependable electricity supply to keep Rand Water’s systems operational in future. Officials said the group will look at short-term mitigation measures while working towards longer-term solutions to reduce reliance on vulnerable power supplies.
In the interim, authorities urged households and businesses in affected areas to conserve water as the committee develops interventions to restore stability to the Eikenhof system.
Local impacts and practical advice
Residents in the affected municipalities may experience reduced pressure, intermittent supplies or temporary outages while the committee implements immediate fixes. To reduce harm to households and municipal services, officials recommended practical steps, including:
- Storing a limited emergency supply of water in clean containers for essential use only
- Prioritising water for drinking, cooking and hygiene
- Reporting leaks to local municipality customer service centres so losses can be limited
Local businesses that rely on a constant water supply — such as laundries, food outlets and medical facilities — were advised to activate contingency plans and communicate with municipal water services about potential disruptions.
Why electricity matters for bulk water systems
Bulk water treatment and pumping infrastructure depend on reliable electricity to operate pumps, treatment processes and telemetry systems. When feeds to key components at bulk works are cut or unstable, output can fall quickly, reservoirs can run low and supply to reticulation networks can be interrupted, as was outlined in reports by Rand Water and City Power presented at the meeting.
| Issue | Immediate consequence |
|---|---|
| Frequent electricity interruptions | Reduced pumping and treatment capacity |
| Unreliable bulk supply | Intermittent municipal water pressure and outages |
| Insufficient contingency power | Longer restoration times and potential service interruptions |
Officials emphasised that technical and operational fixes will need to run alongside broader planning to ensure water security where electricity supply is fragile.
Next steps
The joint committee will prepare the response plan required to tackle the immediate crisis and to propose options for a more dependable power supply to Rand Water’s Eikenhof system. That plan is to be submitted to the relevant intergovernmental structures for consideration and further action.
As the committee works through technical and logistical options, residents are encouraged to follow updates from municipal customer service channels and take basic conservation steps to protect household supplies.
