There is a need for greater resilience in Gauteng’s water supply system, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said on Friday.

The comments followed an explosion of a motor connected to one of the pumps at Rand Water's Zuikerbosch water treatment plant on January 27, which impacted water supply for households, businesses and communities across Gauteng, particularly in the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metropolitans.

The regions experienced low water pressure, temporary outages and widespread supply interruptions, which were exacerbated by high water consumption during this period.

Full operations at Zuikerbosch have been restored, with all booster stations, namely Palmiet, Eikenhof, Mapleton and Zwartkopjes, now pumping at full capacity.

Reservoir levels in the affected systems are recovering steadily, and customers should see gradual improvements in water pressure and supply over the next few hours and days as the network stabilises.

However, while the swift recovery is encouraging, the incident underscores the need for greater resilience in Gauteng's water supply system, the DWS said in a joint statement with Rand Water, Johannesburg Water and the City of Johannesburg (CoJ).

“Government remains committed to supporting investments in infrastructure upgrades, including expanded reservoir capacity, to build a more robust and reliable bulk water system for the province.

“Johannesburg requires increased water storage capacity in reservoirs to better buffer against unpredictable events like this explosion,” according to the statement.

In line with this, Johannesburg Water is investing more than R32-billion in water services infrastructure over the next ten years, a portion of which is allocated to enhancing water storage capacity, which will ensure that any accidents or technical failures have minimal impact on communities and prevent severe disruptions even during high-demand periods or unexpected incidents.

The DWS, represented by Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, convened an urgent stakeholder meeting with Rand Water, the Gauteng provincial government, the CoJ and Johannesburg Water to obtain a comprehensive update on the incident, its impact and the coordinated action to accelerate recovery and bolster long-term system resilience.

The meeting was also attended by Gauteng Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo and CoJ Executive Mayor Dada Morero.

Rand Water and Johannesburg Water will continue their close collaboration to restore uninterrupted supply fully and provide ongoing updates. Residents are encouraged to contact their local water utility or Rand Water's customer care line for assistance.