Zuikerbosch Explosion: Full Water Operations Restored as Govt Plans Resilience Push

In response, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, led by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, convened an urgent stakeholder meeting on Thursday evening to coordinate recovery efforts and assess the broader impact.

The government has acknowledged the significant hardship and disruption faced by households, businesses and communities across Gauteng following an explosion at the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant, which triggered widespread water supply interruptions earlier this week.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, 27 January 2027, when an explosion involving a motor connected to one of the plant’s pumps damaged Engine Room 4, forcing a temporary shutdown of operations. The disruption had a cascading impact across major metropolitan areas, particularly Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, resulting in low water pressure, temporary outages and supply interruptions. The situation was further aggravated by high water consumption during the period.

In response, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, led by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, convened an urgent stakeholder meeting on Thursday evening to coordinate recovery efforts and assess the broader impact.

The meeting brought together Rand Water, the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Gauteng Provincial Government, the City of Johannesburg, and Johannesburg Water. It was also attended by Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Jacob Mamabolo and City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero, who provided detailed briefings on local impacts and recovery progress.

Stakeholders received a comprehensive update on the cause of the explosion, its effect on the bulk water supply system, and immediate as well as long-term measures to strengthen system resilience.

Full operations restored

Government commended Rand Water for its swift response, noting that emergency repair teams worked around the clock to complete critical repairs.

“Government is pleased to confirm that full operations at Zuikerbosch have been restored, with all booster stations—Palmiet, Eikenhof, Mapleton and Zwartkopjes—now pumping at full capacity,” the government said in a joint statement issued on Friday.

Reservoir levels across affected systems are recovering steadily, and residents should experience gradual improvements in water pressure and supply over the coming hours and days as the network stabilises.

Johannesburg Water was also praised for its proactive deployment of additional water tankers, which helped ease pressure on communities and businesses during the disruption.

Infrastructure resilience under focus

While welcoming the rapid restoration, government said the incident highlights the urgent need to strengthen Gauteng’s bulk water supply resilience. Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to supporting infrastructure upgrades, including the expansion of reservoir capacity, to reduce the impact of future technical failures.

The meeting noted that Johannesburg, in particular, requires greater water storage capacity to buffer against unpredictable events such as infrastructure breakdowns.

In this regard, Johannesburg Water plans to invest more than R32 billion over the next 10 years in water services infrastructure across the city, with a portion of the funding earmarked specifically for expanding reservoir storage capacity.

“Enhancing storage will ensure that accidents or technical failures have minimal impact on communities, preventing severe disruptions even during high-demand periods or unexpected incidents,” the statement said.

Apology and public advisory

Government extended its sincere apology to all affected residents, businesses and stakeholders, thanking the public for their patience and cooperation during the disruption.

“Rand Water and Johannesburg Water will continue to work closely to restore uninterrupted supply fully and provide regular updates. Residents are encouraged to contact their local water utility or Rand Water’s Customer Care line for assistance,” the statement added.