Residents in parts of Johannesburg’s Bezuidenhout Valley have been warned not to drink or use their tap water after damage to a water pipeline raised fears of possible contamination, adding to mounting water-quality concerns following gastrointestinal illness outbreaks at Rhodes University in Makhanda and Bronkhorstspruit in Tshwane.
Johannesburg Water said the warning was a precautionary measure and that contamination had not been confirmed. The affected water supply will remain isolated until laboratory tests establish whether it is safe for use.
The pipeline was damaged when a tree stump fell onto it during excavation work by a contractor replacing sewer pipes at the corner of 6th Street and 8th Avenue in the area.
“Contamination has not been confirmed; the communication is a precautionary measure that the Entity is taking,” Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said.
Shabalala said repairs were completed on Wednesday night, October 21, but the affected water supply remained isolated while teams flushed the pipeline and collected samples for laboratory testing.
“Flushing of the line and water sampling will continue today, 22 October 2026. The water supply will remain isolated until laboratory results confirm that the water is safe for use,” she said.
The alert affects properties along 8th Avenue at the intersections of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets. Johannesburg Water said alternative water supplies would continue to be provided to affected customers until the restriction was lifted.
The warning comes as authorities investigate gastrointestinal illnesses in Makhanda and respond to a more serious water contamination incident in Bronkhorstspruit, where 408 cases were reported between October 7 and 18.
Rhodes University said it was working with local public health authorities after a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses was reported among members of its community on Tuesday, October 20.
“Subsequent enquiries with local medical practitioners indicate that similar cases are being reported elsewhere in Makhanda, suggesting that the situation may extend beyond the University campus,” the university said.
The institution said it was working with health authorities and environmental health practitioners to establish the possible cause and extent of the illnesses.
“While investigations are ongoing, precautionary measures have been implemented on campus, including urgent water-quality testing at residences, the provision of safe drinking water in dining halls, and additional precautions in food preparation,” it said.
Staff and students have been urged to follow safe water, food-handling and hygiene practices, including drinking boiled and cooled or bottled water, while the investigation continues.
In Tshwane, the water-quality concerns have intensified after 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding communities between October 7 and 18, with the failure to chlorinate the water prompting calls for accountability.
At a media briefing on Monday, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said contaminated water from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works was suspected to be the source of the illnesses.
The City of Tshwane has warned residents supplied by the Bronkhorstspruit water system not to use tap water for human consumption after laboratory results revealed serious bacterial contamination in samples collected on October 14 from the treatment plant and the Zithobeni and Ekandustria reservoirs.
This week, Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya said she had ordered an investigation into the failures that exposed Bronkhorstspruit residents to contaminated water, pledging disciplinary action against officials found to have been negligent or engaged in misconduct.
“Where negligence or misconduct is identified, the city will act decisively in accordance with the applicable disciplinary processes,” she said.
WaterCAN executive director Dr Ferrial Adam called for an immediate inquiry into the Bronkhorstspruit outbreak, including the suspension of senior officials responsible for oversight of the water treatment works.
“There is a clear collapse of oversight and lives could have been lost,” Adam said, describing the incident as unacceptable in the country’s capital.
She said the outbreak reflected longstanding concerns, including recurring typhoid cases, unreliable water supplies, discoloured water and deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, warning that communities were still waiting for meaningful accountability.
The concerns come as the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and Wits University launch a five-year Water Rights Tracker assessing water services across all 144 water services authorities, to identify failures and strengthen accountability ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
SAHRC commissioner Dr Henk Boshoff said the Bronkhorstspruit outbreak showed the consequences of unsafe water.
“Failure to deliver quality water is not just another administrative mishap; it has real-life consequences. The water crisis is impacting lives and livelihoods. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand, but we must tackle the water crisis head-on.”
Prof Tracy-Lynn Field, Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship, added: “Access to sufficient water is not a privilege or a political promise.
“It is a constitutional right. The Water Rights Tracker offers a means of measuring whether that right is being realised, identifying where failures are occurring and ensuring that those responsible for delivering water services can be held to account.”
anita.nkonki@nationalmg.co.za