Low water pressure expected next week for valve installation

The metro urges residents in Ekurhuleni to utilise water sparingly as water supply to customers is anticipated to be reduced from June 24 to 27, reports Germiston City News.

This is as a result of Rand Water, which supplies the metro with water, conducting valve installation work for the duration of the period on the main supply pipeline.

“Rand Water has notified the city of Ekurhuleni of the planned reduced water supply during the above-mentioned period, and have assured us that they will keep their bulk supply reservoirs to a maximum capacity to minimise water supply interruptions,” said MMC for water and energy Tiisetso Nketle.

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“We do, however, anticipate low water pressure to no water in some areas for the duration of the Rand Water reduced water supply and low pressure over the next week while the system recovers.”

As such, residents and businesses are cautioned to conserve water and implement immediate water-saving measures to avoid the complete depletion of supply.

Technicians will closely monitor water levels in the reservoirs and water tankers will be provided in the areas with no water supply.

Areas with direct feeds from Rand Water and those in high-lying areas may be affected adversely and will be among the areas that will be prioritised.

Other measures to be implemented by the metro include securing the supply by filling the reservoirs – this may involve closing off supply between 10pm and 5am over the weekend in some areas.

Pressure management and throttling the supply will also be implemented where necessary

Nketle also wished to distance the metro from statements attributed to the metro made on various media platforms regarding the situation.

The following areas must anticipate water supply interruptions for the duration of the Rand Water supply reduction:

All reservoirs in the city of Ekurhuleni will continue to be monitored closely and any changes will be communicated.

In Johannesburg, MMC for Environmental and Infrastructure Services, councillor Nico de Jager held a press briefing addressing some concerns from residents at the Brixton water tower on Thursday, reports Midrand Reporter.

De Jager explained that residents have no reason to panic, as new interventions have been put in place to ensure that the Johannesburg municipality is not adversely affected by the maintenance work. The current reservoirs will be filled up by Monday to avoid a no-water situation.

De Jager said the maintenance work is necessary as a major valve will be installed, “At this point in time we do not believe there will be a shortage of any kind.”

He also said that Rand Water purification plant will still be operational to supply water to our water supply systems for the duration of the valve installation to assist in  replenishing reservoirs, Southern Courier reports.

Rand Water will also supply water via the Palmiet and Eikenhof pump stations to Johannesburg Water reservoirs. Furthermore, Rand Water will ensure that prior to the commencement of the shutdown, all reservoirs supplying the City will be filled to capacity to ensure water supply during the shutdown period.

“Our reservoirs have the capacity to supply water for up to two days. This said, due to the extremely long hours involved in the maintenance process, some of the high lying areas may experience erratic low pressure. The City does not anticipate any unusual water supply disruptions during the shutdown. However, Johannesburg Water will continuously update residents on the progress of the work via all media platforms.

“This is in compliance with the National Water Act No. 36 of 1998, which stipulates that the Water Services Authority (CoJ) must issue a notice of potential water interruptions to all its consumers well ahead of the event taking place. Johannesburg Water appeals to all residents of the City of Johannesburg to use water sparingly during the shutdown in order to avoid a complete no-water situation and reminds all customers that level one water restrictions are still in place.

“I wish to reiterate that Johannesburg Water is in consultation with Rand Water to ensure that the planned maintenance has minimal impact on our residents,” explained De Jager.

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