MIDRAND WATER SYSTEM UNDER INSPECTION AS GOVERNMENT PROMISES IMPROVEMENT
Government officials visited the President Park Reservoir and other key water infrastructure in Midrand as authorities work to stabilise supply following ongoing water shortages affecting Kaalfontein, Ebony Park and Ivory Park.
President Park Reservoir supplies our areas of Kaalfontein, Allandale, Ebony Park and Rabie Ridge with water.
On Thursday, 12 February 2026, the City of Johannesburg hosted a high-level Ministerial Oversight Visit in the Greater Midrand area to assess the ongoing water crisis affecting communities including Kaalfontein, Ebony Park, Ivory Park and Rabie Ridge.
Residents in Midrand, including Kaalfontein, Ebony Park, Ivory Park and Rabie Ridge, have been experiencing ongoing water shortages due to low reservoir levels and system balancing by Johannesburg Water. Authorities say water supply will improve as the President Park Reservoir and other Midrand systems recover.
The delegation was led by Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo, and City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero.
What leaders inspected
Officials visited key water infrastructure sites, including:
- The Grand Central Water Tower
- The President Park Reservoir
- Construction and upgrade works in Carlswald
- Progress on restoring the Commando water system
They also toured the Erand Reservoir, which forms part of the wider Midrand supply network.
What is causing the water problems
According to the City, the current shortages are mainly due to: Supply balancing in the system and Demand management pressures.
The President Park Reservoir, which supplies KAE areas, remains constrained and is currently under daily water throttling to allow the system to recover. Officials indicated the Midrand system is sitting at about 55% capacity.
Interventions underway
The City Manager, Johannesburg Water technical teams and partners are implementing several measures to stabilise supply:
- Leak detection and repairs
- Pressure management
- Rapid response maintenance, and
- Infrastructure upgrades
Authorities say early signs of improvement are being seen, with further improvements expected in the coming days.
Government commitment
Following the visit and a media briefing at the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre in Midrand, Minister Majodina said government aims to push Gauteng’s water system to 90% capacity by 15 February 2026.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa also took part in the oversight engagement.
Residents are urged to:
Use water sparingly
Avoid unnecessary usage
Report leaks immediately
Officials say cooperation from the community remains critical while recovery efforts continue.
KAE News will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
