Johannesburg CBD
Last Johannesburg Water (JW) report: Tue 29 Sep 2026, 20:30
Crosby: short of water on 3 days this year.
From 189 days with a JW report. A typical reservoir or tower in the city had 4.
At JW's last report: Level low
Also listed here: short of water on 42 of the 185 days JW reported it this year, and JW printed a warning on 23 more.
JW lists Johannesburg CBD under both supplies and does not say which streets each one reaches.
Your street may differ: each report covers a reservoir or tower and the area it feeds, and higher streets lose water first. What JW's words mean
Day by day
In 2026 so far: 42 days short of water for Hector Norris Pump Station, from 185 days with a report; 3 days for Crosby Reservoir, from 189. A typical supply in the city, the median one (half had fewer), had 4 days.
Each square is a day, as JW reported it for a supply: a reservoir or tower that JW reports on. The number at the right is the month's days short of water.
In 2026 so far, JW reported at least one of Johannesburg CBD's 2 supplies short of water on 45 days
3 March 2025 to 29 September 2026, from 576 days with a JW report.
Crosby Reservoir
In 2026 so far: 3 days short of water, from 189 days with a JW report.
Hector Norris Pump Station
In 2026 so far: 42 days short of water, from 185 days with a JW report.
- water as normal
- supplying fairly
- JW warned
- low, or weak in places
- short of water
- critically low
- shut for the night
- no JW report
- still filling in
JW's reported status of the reservoir or tower, not measured water at taps. Boards from March 2025.
Source: Johannesburg Water's System Update boards and notices, read by us. How this record is made.
Cite this figure
watersearch (2026). “In 2026 so far, JW reported at least one of Johannesburg CBD's 2 supplies short of water on 45 days”. Data release 2026-09-29-318d9dca. https://watersearch.co.za/suburb/johannesburg-cbd#fig-year
The data as a table
| Supply | Month | Days reported | Days in record | Adequate or fair | Poor pressure in places, or low | Warning: no water may occur | Poor pressure to no water | Critically low | Overnight closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby Reservoir | March 2025 | 18 | 29 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | April 2025 | 22 | 30 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | May 2025 | 14 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | June 2025 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | July 2025 | 24 | 31 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | August 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | September 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | October 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | November 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | December 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | January 2026 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | February 2026 | 7 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | March 2026 | 19 | 31 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | April 2026 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | May 2026 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | June 2026 | 29 | 30 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | July 2026 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | August 2026 | 22 | 31 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crosby Reservoir | September 2026 | 20 | 29 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | March 2025 | 18 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | April 2025 | 13 | 30 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | May 2025 | 13 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | June 2025 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | July 2025 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | August 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | September 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | October 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | November 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | December 2025 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | January 2026 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | February 2026 | 6 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | March 2026 | 20 | 31 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | April 2026 | 29 | 30 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | May 2026 | 30 | 31 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | June 2026 | 29 | 30 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | July 2026 | 29 | 31 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | August 2026 | 22 | 31 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | September 2026 | 20 | 29 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
A day counts as short of water when JW's worst report for it that day was “poor pressure to no water” or “critically low”, as happening or expected (expected most often means higher streets). A warning that it may occur does not count.
Is anyone fixing it?
JW has posted no notice with an end date for Hector Norris Pump Station this year. Its last was for work that started in November 2025.
In short
The latest JW report on this site is from 29 September 2026; the site last read JW's website on 1 October. Crosby Reservoir was low. Hector Norris Pump Station was supplying fairly. This year Hector Norris Pump Station was short of water on 42 of the 185 days JW reported it. A typical reservoir or tower in the city had 4 such days. On Hector Norris Pump Station, half of its last 10 outages were over within 26 hours; the longest since March 2025 lasted 9.1 days. JW has posted no notice with an end date for Hector Norris Pump Station this year. Its last was for work that started in November 2025. None of the 16 passed end dates on its page was met.
Latest JW report
Crosby Reservoir, 29 September 2026: level low at 20:25, the worst status in this report (JW: “Supplying fairly but low”).
JW put it on its website 1 October 2026 at 13:40. JW's page for this board ↗ · JW's image of the board ↗
Hector Norris Pump Station, 29 September 2026: supplying fairly at 20:30 (JW: “Supplying fairly. Normal pumping”).
JW put it on its website 1 October 2026 at 13:40. JW's page for this board ↗ · JW's image of the board ↗
Also on OurPower ↗.
Where Johannesburg CBD gets its water
Johannesburg CBD draws on two supplies at once: Crosby Reservoir and Hector Norris Pump Station. JW does not say which street each one reaches.
| Supply | System | How JW links it to Johannesburg CBD |
|---|---|---|
| Crosby Reservoir | Central, Commando | Named in a JW notice, as Johannesburg CBD. Source 1 ↗ |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | Central | Listed on JW's pages, as Johannesburg Cbd. Source 1 ↗ |
Outages
JW reported 25 outages on Johannesburg CBD's supplies since March 2025. The longest lasted 9.1 days. Every outage, with how long it lasted: Crosby Reservoir and Hector Norris Pump Station.
JW's end dates
JW posted 22 notices with an end date that list a suburb or system Johannesburg CBD's supplies feed. Most name only suburbs, not the reservoir or tower, so the summary at the top uses only a notice that names the supply itself. By the stated time JW's boards showed the water back on none of the 17 end times that have passed. Each end date against what happened: Crosby Reservoir and Hector Norris Pump Station.
Up the supply chain
Johannesburg CBD's supplies are in JW's Central and Commando systems.
On 9 July 2026, JW reported 1 of Johannesburg CBD's 2 supplies short of water
Where the water comes from, top to bottom, and what JW reported for each part on 9 July 2026. A suburb draws on every supply listed at once; JW does not say which street each one reaches.
Showing 9 July 2026. Other days: 31 August 2026, 28 July 2026, 25 July 2026, 16 July 2026, 13 July 2026, 9 July 2026, or the last day.
Bulk supply
JW's boards carry no status for Rand Water's stations.
Feeds the Commando system: stated by JW source ↗JW's boards carry no status for Rand Water's stations.
Feeds Hector Norris Pump Station: stated by JW source ↗On this day JW's boards printed poor incoming supply for Hector Norris Pump Station: trouble upstream of the reservoir.
System
JW reported 0 of 6 supplies in it short of water; 1 had no report.
Fed from Eikenhof Pump Station (Rand Water): stated by JW source ↗JW reported 1 of 16 supplies in it short of water; 2 had no report.
Supplies, all at once
JW reported low.
As printed: “12:00 Supplying fairly.”; “19:15 Low and supplying”
In the Commando system: listed on a JW page source ↗ Supplies Johannesburg CBD: named in a JW noticeJW reported poor pressure to no water.
As printed: “11:55 No pumping, poor incoming supply.”; “19:10 Supplying fairly. Poor pressure to no flows expected in some areas”
In the Central system: listed on a JW page source ↗ Fed from Zwartkopjes Pump Station (Rand Water): stated by JW source ↗ Supplies Johannesburg CBD: listed on JW's pagesSuburb
No JW report for taps. See the supplies above: when they are supplying, a tap can still be dry, most often in higher streets.
JW's reported status of the reservoir or tower, not measured water at taps. Boards from March 2025.
Source: Johannesburg Water's System Update boards and notices, read by us. How this record is made.
Cite this figure
watersearch (2026). “On 9 July 2026, JW reported 1 of Johannesburg CBD's 2 supplies short of water”. Data release 2026-09-29-318d9dca. https://watersearch.co.za/suburb/johannesburg-cbd#fig-chain
The data as a table
| Part | What it is | Feeds | How we know | On 9 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eikenhof Pump Station (Rand Water) | Rand Water station | the Commando system | stated by JW | No JW status for it |
| Zwartkopjes Pump Station (Rand Water) | Rand Water station | Hector Norris Pump Station | stated by JW | No JW status for it |
| Commando system | System | JW's system page | 0 of 6 supplies short of water; 1 with no report | |
| Central system | System | JW's system page | 1 of 16 supplies short of water; 2 with no report | |
| Crosby Reservoir | Reservoir | Johannesburg CBD | JW's page or notice | low |
| Hector Norris Pump Station | Pump station | Johannesburg CBD | JW's page or notice | poor pressure to no water |
Under strain
In 2026 so far, Johannesburg CBD had 93 days under strain: days when JW reported any of its supplies low or worse, or warned that higher-lying areas may lose water. This is a wider count than days short of water.
The network is linked. Johannesburg CBD draws on all its supplies at once, and when one runs low the others carry more. At such times JW's boards sometimes warn of “poor pressure to no water in higher-lying areas”: under strain, higher streets lose water first. JW does not say which streets those are.
What JW's boards cannot tell you
JW's boards report reservoirs and towers, so some things are not in this record:
- Whether water reaches your street or your tap.
- Which streets lose water first: JW warns of higher-lying areas but does not name the streets.
- Why a supply ran low, unless a JW notice gives a reason.
- Pipe bursts, tankers and valve work, which are not on the boards.
Source: JW's System Update boards and notices, read by us. The full list, and how this record is made.