Residents in Atteridgeville and Laudium are bracing for possible water shortages as Rand Water prepares to carry out planned maintenance that will affect several parts of Tshwane from 29 May to 2 June 2026.
The five-day maintenance period is expected to result in temporary water supply interruptions after some pumps are switched off. Systems likely to be affected include the Atteridgeville High-Level and Low-Level reservoirs, which supply Atteridgeville, Saulsville and West Park, as well as the Laudium Reservoir, serving Laudium, Claudius, Erasmia and Christoburg.
The City of Tshwane said in a statement that the work forms part of Rand Water’s annual infrastructure upgrades and has been scheduled for winter, when water demand is typically lower.
However, residents say the timing offers little comfort.
Atteridgeville resident Bheki Mazibuko said many households are already dealing with inconsistent supply.
“Sometimes the water already goes off unexpectedly, so people are worried that this maintenance could leave us without water for days,” he said.
In Laudium, Ayesha Khan said families and business owners are scrambling to prepare.
“People are buying containers and trying to prepare, but not everyone has the money to stock up. Small businesses and restaurants will also be affected if the water supply is unstable,” she said.
Slindile Nxumalo from Saulsville said clear communication and contingency measures will be critical.
“We understand maintenance is necessary, but the City must communicate properly and make sure residents have access to clean water throughout the process,” she said.
While the City has urged residents to follow its communication platforms for updates, it remains unclear how many water tankers will be deployed, how long outages may last in specific neighbourhoods, and what contingency plans are in place should the maintenance overrun.
Attempts to obtain further comment from the City regarding detailed mitigation measures were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Rand Water’s maintenance is scheduled to begin on Friday, 29 May and conclude on Tuesday, 2 June 2026.
