In December 2024, Rand Water shut down the Eikenhof Pump Station for 86 hours of critical maintenance, cutting water to approximately 4 million Johannesburg residents — 60% of the city. The Zwartkopjes station simultaneously underwent 36-hour maintenance. But this planned shutdown was merely the acute symptom of systemic collapse. Johannesburg loses 46% of its treated water through leaks — a survey of its 12,100 km network found 2,396 burst pipes, 6,724 leaking pipes, 442 leaking valves, and 259 leaking hydrants. The city narrowly avoided "Day Zero" (total supply failure) four times in 2024. In 2025 it emerged that R4 billion earmarked for Johannesburg Water's infrastructure had been diverted through a "cash-sweeping arrangement" to the City of Johannesburg's central account. The Auditor-General confirmed the R4 billion existed "on paper" but had been physically swept into the city's central bank account, forcing the water utility to request daily operating funds. The R26 billion infrastructure renewal backlog remains unaddressed. Seven mayors in three years have prevented any long-term planning.