Johannesburg was drawing 1,801 megaliters a day from Rand Water in October 2026, against a licensed allocation of 1,356 ML/d. That is 445 ML/d, or 33%, more than its license allows. On October 20, 2026, Rand Water told Johannesburg, Tshwane and Emfuleni to cut back, first to temporary limits and then to their licensed volumes.
Six municipalities over the line
Tshwane was using 794 ML/d against an allocation of 667 ML/d, and Emfuleni 315 ML/d against 239 ML/d. Mogale City drew 107 ML/d against 93, Midvaal 39 against 28 and Lesedi 25 against 23. Ekurhuleni, at 1,005 ML/d, was the only metro inside its 1,022 ML/d allocation. The temporary limits Rand Water set as a first step were 1,528 ML/d for Johannesburg and 752 ML/d for Tshwane.
A ceiling that holds until 2028
Rand Water's own abstraction from the Vaal system is capped at 1,803 million cubic meters a year, a daily average of about 4,940 ML/d. Peak day demand reached 5,161 ML/d in FY 2025. A temporary increase to 2,003 million cubic meters covered only February to June 2026. Polihali Dam in Lesotho, the next source of water, is expected to begin impounding in July 2027, and Lesotho Highlands Phase II completion is targeted for October 2028.
From supplier to referee
Johannesburg accounted for 36% of Rand Water's sales in FY 2025, so its consumption affects how much headroom is left for every other customer. On October 23, 2026, Engineering News reported that Rand Water was implementing restrictions on over-consuming municipalities.
Whether Rand Water can enforce allocations, how its capital plan and power strategy fit the 2028 timetable, and what the Emfuleni utility means for its future role are covered in the report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: Rand Water, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Rand Water Utility Snapshot.