3 March 2026 – 15:10
Customer Notice
A new era of water security: commissioning of the new Brixton Reservoir, Tower and Pumpstation
On 02 March 2026, Johannesburg Water commenced the final commissioning of the new
Brixton Reservoir, Tower and Pump Station Complex. The technical team continues
addressing snags on the system.
As part of the standard commissioning and quality assurance process, the reservoir was
temporarily drained in a controlled manner to allow for final internal cleaning and compliance
checks. The water was safely discharged through the existing outlet infrastructure in
accordance with operational protocols.
Once cleaning is complete, the reservoir will be refilled and a final round of water quality
sampling will be undertaken in line with regulatory requirements before full integration into
the network.
The project is a landmark development set to significantly strengthen water security within
the Commando System. This milestone marks a major step forward in ensuring reliable and
sustainable water supply to communities that have long been affected by shortages. The
game-changing project will boost much-needed water storage capacity for the Commando
System, as well as improve supply to feeder zones.
“The Commando System is always the hardest hit by water interruptions that occur on the
Eikenhof System due to economic growth and development, ageing infrastructure, and
various other factors. This has been evident with recent increased water interruption issues
in this region, with some residents going for a long time without water,” says Johannesburg
Water’s Managing Director, Ntshavheni Mukwevho.
“By increasing storage capacity and enhancing pumping capability, the new infrastructure
will stabilise supply and build resilience within one of the City’s most pressured systems.”
The Commando System supplies water to areas such as Coronationville, Westbury,
Claremont, Bosmont, Sophiatown, Brixton, Melville, Emmarentia, Auckland Park, Greenside
Westdene, Parktown West, Fordsburg, Mayfair, Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph hospitals,
as well as key institutions such as the University of Johannesburg and the University of the
Witwatersrand and SABC.
This project forms part of Johannesburg Water’s ongoing efforts to ensure a consistent and
long-term water supply through the upgrading of existing infrastructure, and the provision of
new water infrastructure to create additional capacity that supports higher-density
settlements. As Johannesburg continues to grow, strategic investments such as these are
essential to future-proofing the city’s water network.
The commissioning of the Brixton Reservoir, Tower, and Pumpstation is more than just an
infrastructure milestone — it is a symbol of progress, resilience, and service delivery in
action. It reflects Johannesburg Water’s commitment to restoring confidence, improving
reliability, and delivering tangible solutions that directly improve residents’ quality of life.
Johannesburg Water would like to thank residents for their continued patience during
periods of disruption. With this major upgrade now complete, the Entity is confident that the
water shortage issues customers have faced in this region will soon be a thing of the past.
Further updates are expected as further smaller aspects of the total project get concluded
Ends
Issued by Johannesburg Water Communication and Marketing.