The City of Jo'burg is going through a major water crisis. But just how bad is it?
At least 10 water reservoirs across the city are running out of water, affecting thousands of people and businesses.
Family members who have relatives in three hospitals - Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa in Johannesburg and Pholosong in Ekurhuleni - have been taking water and food to them as the hospitals have been without water for a week.
And no, it's not a drought, as levels in all the main supply dams are at over 90% capacity.
The crisis is poor management and poor maintenance of the water reticulation system that has resulted in taps running dry in many parts of the city.
On Wednesday evening, Jo'burg Water said it was short of more than 2,000 million litres a day.
It blamed the main bulk water supplier, Rand Water, as it did last year when a similar crisis occurred.
Rand Water blames Eskom power cuts and a freak storm on Tuesday night that affected the power supply and shut down its Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant.
"Rand Water's technical teams attempted to restart the plant, however, this revealed faults along the overhead power lines supplying the auxiliary plant. The power failure resulted in the loss of 2 000 million litres a day," Jo'burg Water said in a statement.
The city is also losing an estimated 35% of its water to leaks in its aging piping system.
By Wednesday at least 10 reservoirs - Quellerina, Linden 1 Tower, Berea, Alexander Park, Naturena, Eagles Nest, Midrand Systems, Crown Gardens, South Hills, Commando Systems (Brixton, Hursthill and Crosby) - were all running low.
For residents in Tsakane who have been without water for two months, recent water restrictions are not new.
Jo'burg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said water tanks will be deployed to help residents.
"This comes as Johannesburg Water's systems are already struggling, and Rand Water's systems are also strained by the high consumption, which is going to exacerbate the situation. Rand Water and Johannesburg Water technical teams are working together to ensure recovery of the systems."
With Level 1 water restrictions in place, Jo'burg Water said no washing of cars, watering gardens or cleaning driveways with hose pipes will be allowed.
