The City of Ekurhuleni appealed to its customers to use water sparingly in light of load-shedding affecting water supply in some areas of the city region.
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CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the recent prolonged and high frequency of electricity interruptions have affected pump stations, causing water supply interruptions in various areas of the city.
Additionally, this has resulted in a decreased flow of water to high-lying areas.
Explaining how interruptions in electricity supply impact water supply, Dlamini said at water reservoirs, there are electricity-dependent pumps that pump water up into a tower.
The tower provides enough pressure to feed the water supply network.
Dlamini said pipelines in the network deliver the water to the taps at homes or businesses.
“In the event of an electricity outage that is longer than four hours, generators kick in to power the pump station,” said Dlamini.
“If the load-shedding period, power outage or remedial work being done lasts for an extended period, power supply from the generators ceases and the pumps stop working.”
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Dlamini said in instances where there is no generator, the water stored in the tower may run out even quicker.
“At first, the pressure drops and water starts to trickle out slowly until the water in the system diminishes, resulting in no water at all from the taps,” said Dlamini.
The CoE appealed to its residents and businesses to use water sparingly.
The city shared the following tips to use water sparingly:
• Limit watering gardens
• Water gardens either early in the morning or early in the evening
• Take a short shower instead of a bath
• Wash your car with a bucket, not a hosepipe
• Reuse as much water as possible
• Fix any water leaks on your property
• Report water leaks on municipal property
• Close the tap when brushing your teeth or washing your hands
• Do everything possible to minimise water evaporation such as covering pools when not in use.
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