Johannesburg - Repairs to a burst water pipeline affecting residents of large parts of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and surrounding areas is taking longer than initially anticipated and is now expected to be completed only on Monday afternoon, Rand Water said.

"Following our earlier communication [on Sunday morning]; upon accessing the pipe and on proper inspection, we unfortunately found that the pipe was damaged more than what was initially expected and reported," Rand Water said in a statement late on Sunday afternoon.

"The latest estimated completion of the work is tomorrow [Monday] afternoon. Should the situation improve or get worse, the public will be informed accordingly. Together with Johannesburg Water and the City of Ekurhuleni we are making provision for water takers."

The exact location of the tankers would be provided by the respective municipalities. Rand Water apologised for the inconvenience this "may have caused" and urged residents to continue using water sparingly as work to restore the supply was under way.

In the earlier statement, Rand Water said the burst portion on the O2 pipeline had been exposed overnight. It appeared that a valve on the pipeline was vandalised.