Water cuts expected in Tshwane on Saturday due to leaking pipeline

Residents of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metro municipalities are warned of water supply cut-offs from 13:00 on Saturday afternoon.

The City of Tshwane has issued a statement saying that the utility Rand Water needs to carry out emergency repair work on a leaking pipeline that supplies water to various reservoirs in Tshwane and other municipalities.

“It is unfortunate that water supply from this pipeline has to be shut down for 24 hours from 13:00 this afternoon [Saturday]  until tomorrow Sunday 1 March at 13:00 in order to carry out this essential work.” 

City of Tshwane 

@Rand_Water #WaterUpdate 05 pipeline water leak emergency repairs to affect various areas in Tshwane pic.twitter.com/Vdoc5mgZcJ

— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) February 29, 2020

Water cuts expected in these areas of Tshwane 

There is a high possibility that the following areas of Tshwane will be affected: 

• Centurion;
• Kosmosdal;
• Mnandi; 
• Rooihuiskraal; 
• The Reeds;
• Bakenkop;
• Sunderland Ridge; 
• Raslouw;
• Erasmia;
• Valhalla; 
• Loulardia;
• Laudium; 
• Atteridgeville in Tshwane; 
• Pretoria West; 
• Pretoria CBD; 
• Suiderberg; 
• Clifton;
• Brakfontein; 
• Hercules; 
• Wonderboom; 
• Ga-Rankuwa; 
• Mabopane; 
• Winterveld; 
• Soshanguve; and
• Ga-Rankuwa Industrial. 

Rand Water spokesperson Justice Mohale said apart from Tshwane, water cuts will impact the Germiston and Bedfordview areas in Ekurhuleni.

“This has been prompted by the fact that we are trying to fix a leak on 05 pipeline which supplies part of Ekurhuleni. This will commence today at 13:00 until 13:00 tomorrow which means it’s going to be 24 hours.  We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience that might have been caused by this,” said Mohale.

Garsfontein Reservoir battles with high water demand 

In December 2019, the Garsfontein Reservoir was battling to maintain levels above 45% due to the high water demand in Tshwane. The Garsfontein Reservoir supplies water to about 40% of Tshwane’s residents via other reservoirs like Elarduspark and Koedoesnek. 

“The reservoir levels distributing water across the city through the Rand water supply system have plummeted substantially, leaving the management of the metropolitan in a worried state,” said the City.  

MMC for Utility Services, councillor Abel Tau said: “With our reservoir levels sitting at an average of 35%, we appeal to residents and other high water consumers to change their behavioural patterns when coming to water use.” 

The City of Tshwane took to Twitter on Monday 2 December 2019, urging all residents to save water due to certain reservoirs being extremely low.

Tshwane water crisis

In December 2019, 300 000 people were put into a very precarious situation. With no running water, contingency plans have already been deployed in Pretoria. A host of JoJo tanks are being transported to those hit hardest by the pipeline catastrophe, and another “alternative solution” has got the go-ahead.

Magalies Water CEO Sandile Mkhize told SABC that construction is underway to build a temporary extraction point, acting as an artificial replacement for the destroyed infrastructure. However, with a two-month rebuilding job on the horizon, residents will still face long periods of water shortages.