Gauteng water outages today (3 November 2026): affected areas, causes and when water returns

Update (17:55 SAST, 3 November 2026): Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister David Mahlobo say power at the Mapleton substation is back at 100% and Rand Water's pumping has recovered to more than 73%. Reservoirs, including Brakpan and Vlakfontein, are expected to fill overnight, with supply to affected communities expected to improve in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Residents are still asked to use water sparingly (EWN).

Update (16:25 SAST, 3 November 2026): Power has been restored to Rand Water's Mapleton pumping station and Rand Water has resumed pumping, City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed. Supply will come back gradually because water levels in the network dropped, so some taps may stay dry or weak for a while. Residents are asked to use water sparingly, and work to restore electricity to other areas hit by the Mapleton substation fault is continuing (TimesLIVE).

Update (14:25 SAST, 3 November 2026): The City of Ekurhuleni says lightning struck the overhead power lines feeding the Mapleton substation, tripping it. Technicians were about 50% through repairs, with power estimated back around 13:00 on Tuesday, but water supply could take longer to recover once pumping resumes. The city says roving water tankers will go to areas with no water. In Tshwane, Vlakfontein Reservoir had dropped to 18% (African Times).

A power failure at Rand Water's Mapleton Booster Pumping Station has stopped bulk water pumping since about 20:35 on Monday, 2 November, and Rand Water says water shortages are expected in six municipalities (Engineering News).

Which areas are affected?

Rand Water named these municipalities as at risk (Jacaranda FM):

In Tshwane, the City says reservoirs fed by the Mapleton system could keep dropping, which may mean low pressure or temporary interruptions, particularly in the east (Rekord).

What caused it?

The City of Ekurhuleni reported an electricity outage on its own infrastructure, which cut power to the pumping station. Rand Water says a breaker still needs to be repaired and that it cannot pump until the city restores electricity (Engineering News).

When will water return?

There is no official restoration time yet. Rand Water said the City of Ekurhuleni had not given an estimated time and has asked the city to treat the outage as an emergency (Engineering News). Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said there was "no estimated time for the restoration of electricity or the resumption of pumping operations" (Rekord).

Even once pumping resumes, reservoirs will need time to recover before pressure returns to normal everywhere.

Which Tshwane reservoirs are already low?

Rekord reports Region 3 is the worst hit, with Klapperkop Reservoir almost depleted, Heights High Level critically low and Carina Street approaching critical levels. Mamelodi, Derdepoort and Parkmore Low Level reservoirs are also under pressure (Rekord).

What should residents do?

Use water sparingly and avoid non-essential use, such as watering gardens and washing cars, until pumping resumes (Jacaranda FM). Store some drinking water in clean, sealed containers if you still have supply, and report leaks or extended outages to your municipality's official channels.