Johannesburg water outages today (1 November 2026): affected areas, causes and when water returns
Johannesburg Water is throttling 13 reservoirs and towers for 24 hours, including Meadowlands, Cosmo City and Honeydew, while Crown Gardens, Berea and Grand Central stay critically low. No restoration time yet.
By Reported Team · Updated
Update (11:05 SAST, 2 November 2026): The outages have carried into Monday. For the latest areas, including a Fourways burst pipe affecting Paulshof, Petervale, Rivonia, Edenburg and Bryanston, see Johannesburg water outages on 2 November 2026.
Johannesburg's water crisis has carried into Sunday, 1 November 2026. Johannesburg Water is throttling or closing 13 reservoirs, towers and supply points for 24 hours from Saturday afternoon, and its latest notices say Crown Gardens, Berea, Parktown, Grand Central and Erand are still critically low (throttling notice, 31 Oct 15:25; Central system update, 31 Oct 20:30). No restoration times have been given.
On Sunday morning, Johannesburg Water told customers it will give an update on the progress of these interventions this morning (Johannesburg Water, 1 Nov).
Which areas are being throttled for 24 hours?
Johannesburg Water says water levels dropped overnight on Friday, so it is throttling and closing inlets or outlets at these points for 24 hours from its Saturday 15:25 notice (throttling notice):
| Reservoir, tower or supply point |
|---|
| Braamfischerville Reservoir 1 |
| Meadowlands Reservoir |
| Chiawelo Reservoir |
| Zondi Reservoir |
| Witpoortjie Reservoir |
| Bushkoppies Reservoir outlets |
| Cosmo City |
| Olivedale |
| Honeydew Reservoir and Tower |
| Power Park Reservoir outlet |
| Doornkop North Reservoir |
| Protea Glen Tower |
| Forest Hill Tower bypass |
It has also told customers that Roodepoort direct supply zones are under 24-hour throttling (Johannesburg Water reply, 1 Nov).
Which other Johannesburg areas have low or no water?
These are Johannesburg Water's latest official statuses from Saturday evening. All times are SAST.
| Area or supply | What Johannesburg Water says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Gardens Reservoir and Tower | Critically low; outlet closed and tower pumping suspended indefinitely | Central update, 20:30 |
| South Hills Tower | Empty, poor to no incoming supply | Central update, 20:30 |
| Berea and Parktown reservoirs | Critically low, no improvement during the day | Central update, 20:30 |
| Yeoville reservoirs | Severely constrained; pump station suspended since Friday | Central update, 20:30 |
| Alexandra Park Reservoir | On bypass; poor pressure to no water, especially higher areas | Central update, 20:30 |
| Grand Central Reservoir and Tower (Midrand) | Reservoir very low; tower empty, pumping suspended | Midrand update, 20:15 |
| Erand Reservoir and Tower (Midrand) | Critically low; tower on bypass, low pressure and intermittent supply | Midrand update, 20:15 |
| President Park (Midrand) | Outlet closed since Saturday afternoon to build storage | Midrand update, 20:15 |
| Illovo Reservoir and Tower (Sandton) | Low but stable, outlets restricted; tower pumping suspended | Sandton status, 20:35 |
| Bryanston Reservoir and Tower (Sandton) | Supplying fairly with restricted outlets; tower pumping suspended | Sandton status, 20:35 |
| Morningside, Linbro Park and Marlboro | Low levels, low pressure or no water possible | Sandton status, 20:35 |
| Crosby Reservoir (Commando) | Critically low; higher-lying areas may get poor pressure | Commando report, 20:00 |
| Hursthill 1 and 2 | On bypass; low pressure, intermittent or no water | Commando report, 20:00 |
| Brixton 2 | Outlet closed; Brixton 2 Tower pumping suspended | Commando report, 20:00 |
Johannesburg Water says some good news came from the Hector Norris Pump Station, where pumping resumed early on Saturday after inflows improved slightly (Central update). It has not published street lists. If you are not sure which reservoir supplies you, ask @JHBWater.
Why is there still no water?
Johannesburg Water blames persistently poor incoming bulk supply and high demand, which stop reservoirs from recovering (Central update; Midrand update). It says technical teams from Rand Water and Johannesburg Water were meeting to assess the Sandton, Midrand, Randburg and Roodepoort, Commando and Central systems and plan further interventions (Sandton status).
In Sandton, a closure ran from 12:00 on Saturday to 04:00 on Sunday to help the Illovo complex build up (Sandton status).
When will water return?
There are no official restoration times. Johannesburg Water says outlets will be opened when the interventions are completed in the afternoon, and that these measures depend on reservoir levels (Johannesburg Water reply, 1 Nov). Grand Central Tower and Crown Gardens pumping will only resume once incoming supply improves and reservoirs recover (Midrand update; Central update).
What should I do and who do I call?
Use water sparingly and store some in clean, sealed containers when supply returns. Johannesburg Water's tankers deliver water free of charge, so don't buy water from anyone claiming to represent it. It has warned about private tankers selling water and says it can't guarantee that water's quality (Johannesburg Water, 31 Oct 18:15). Tanker arrangements are coordinated mostly through ward councillors, so contact yours to confirm what's planned in your area.
| Channel | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0860 056 2874 or 010 061 4470 |
| [email protected] | |
| X | @JHBWater |
| Johannesburg Water channel |
Earlier coverage: 31 October.
FAQ
Which Johannesburg areas have no water on 1 November 2026?
Johannesburg Water is throttling 13 points for 24 hours, including Meadowlands, Chiawelo, Zondi, Witpoortjie, Cosmo City, Olivedale, Honeydew and Protea Glen Tower. Crown Gardens, Berea, Parktown, Grand Central and Erand were still critically low on Saturday evening.
When will water be back in Johannesburg?
No restoration times have been given. Johannesburg Water says outlets will be opened when interventions are completed in the afternoon, depending on reservoir levels.
Should I buy water from private tankers?
No. Johannesburg Water says its tanker water is free and not for sale, and it can't guarantee the quality of water sold by private tankers. Contact your ward councillor about tanker arrangements.
Sources
- Johannesburg Water: Advanced water throttling (31 October 2026, 15:25)
- Johannesburg Water: Central system water supply update (31 October 2026, 20:30)
- Johannesburg Water: Midrand system update (31 October 2026, 20:15)
- Johannesburg Water: Sandton water supply status (31 October 2026, 20:35)
- Johannesburg Water: Commando system progress report (31 October 2026, 20:00)
- Johannesburg Water: Beware of unauthorised water sellers (31 October 2026, 18:15)
- Johannesburg Water on Roodepoort throttling (1 November 2026)
- Johannesburg Water on outlets reopening (1 November 2026)