On Tuesday, the 27th of January 2026, Rand Water experienced an explosion of a motor connected to one of the pumps at the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant. The explosion had a ripple effect and affected an entire Engine Room 4, resulting in a temporary shutdown of operations.

Partial operations at Engine Room 4 were restored at approximately 18h30, however, pumping resumed at a reduced capacity of 75%.

The Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant supplies water to the Palmiet, Eikenhof, Mapleton and Zwartkopjes Booster Stations. As a result of the incident, the system experienced a loss of 1 800 megalitres per day (Ml/d). Thus far, 1 400 megalitres per day (Ml/d) has been recovered and the technical teams are working tirelessly to recover the balance. The disruption is expected to affect reservoirs within the Palmiet, Eikenhof and Mapleton systems, and some areas may experience low water pressure or temporary water outages.

Rand Water sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused and assures customers that every effort is being made to restore the normal water supply as quickly as possible.