Residents in parts of Bezuidenhout Valley in Johannesburg can drink and use their tap water again. Johannesburg Water lifted a precautionary water quality alert after laboratory tests came back clean.
The water entity said samples taken from the affected homes on 23 and 25 October met the required standards. The tests checked for both germs and chemicals.
“The follow-up samples collected on October 25 were taken as an additional precaution to verify water quality,” Johannesburg Water said in a statement.
Both sets of results passed, and the alert was lifted. Johannesburg Water said its technical team would restore the water supply as soon as it practically could.
The entity said residents may now use water as normal. This includes drinking, cooking and other household tasks.
Johannesburg Water also asked residents to flush their indoor pipes. They should run their taps for a short time to clear out water that stayed in the pipes during the restriction.
Before the results came in, the entity had warned residents not to drink or use their tap water. It wanted to be sure the supply was safe first.
The alert followed repairs to a damaged water pipe at the corner of 6th Street and 8th Avenue. The repairs were finished on Wednesday.
Johannesburg Water said a tree stump fell on the pipe during digging work. A contractor was busy replacing a sewer pipe at the time.
The affected homes are along 8th Avenue, where it meets 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th streets.
The entity apologised for the trouble. It thanked residents for their patience and help during the sampling and testing.
The Johannesburg alert came as Gauteng deals with a larger water problem in Bronkhorstspruit, east of Pretoria. There, the number of reported stomach illness cases linked to dirty water has risen to 833.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina confirmed the latest figures. She said three residents were still in hospital.
Hundreds of people in Bronkhorstspruit and nearby communities fell ill between 7 and 18 October. The outbreak has been linked to water from the local treatment works that was not properly chlorinated.
The treatment works has been closed. Affected communities now get their water from tankers.
The City of Tshwane has suspended the manager of the Bronkhorstspruit plant. An independent investigation into what happened is under way.
The City of Tshwane also lifted a boil water advisory for the Pretoria central business district. Laboratory tests there confirmed the water was safe to drink.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.