Water suppliers in Johannesburg, South Africa, have issued an urgent appeal to city residents and its suburbs to reduce water usage as a severe water shortage threatens to "cripple the system."

Rand Water and Johannesburg Water issued a joint statement on Sunday sep 17 2023, expressing concern about the excessive water consumption by residents, which has led to a significant decline in water reservoir levels.

To address this crisis, the companies have requested that residents take several measures, including limiting showers to two minutes, flushing toilets only when necessary, washing cars using buckets on weekends, refraining from filling swimming pools until the water shortage is resolved, avoiding the use of clean water for gardening or lawn irrigation, and promptly reporting any water leaks.

Johannesburg, currently operates under annual water restrictions, typically enforced during South Africa's dry season, which spans from September to March.

In recent weeks, water shortages have led to disruptions affecting some city residents and essential facilities like hospitals, leading to growing public dissatisfaction.