Bulk supplier Rand Water has warned residents of Johannesburg to store as much water as they can after they announced a planned water cut between next Tuesday and Friday. Residents are advised to store water two days before the planned 58-hour maintenance project.

The Eikenhof pump station will be closed for maintenance from 7 pm Tuesday. "Customers are requested to store water 48 hours (from Sunday, July 9) before the start of the shutdown. The purpose of the planned shutdown is to install isolation valves and conduct systems upgrades at Rand Water's Eikenhof pump station. During the shutdown, Johannesburg Water infrastructure supplied by Rand Water's Eikenhof pump station will be affected, as well as areas receiving direct water supply from Rand Water." Rand Water said alternative arrangements will be made for water supply at hospitals, clinics, schools, municipal offices police stations, and shopping centers.

Areas that will be affected include Randburg, Roodepoort, Johannesburg Central, Ennerdale, Southdale, and Soweto. "Some residents within the Rustenburg Local Municipality, Mogale City municipality, and Rand West Local Municipality will experience intermittent water supply water supply during the implementation of the project," Rand Water said in a statement. It is estimated that full recovery of the systems may take approximately five days or longer after the supply has been fully restored and 138 areas will be affected due to this.