Not only power blackouts, Gauteng storm also wreaked havoc with water supply

A storm that ravaged parts of Gauteng this week not only left many without power, but others without water.

No injuries were reported but trees were uprooted and homes, cars and property were damaged in the storm. Pretoria was hardest hit, with residents in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas left in the dark after a power station was struck by lightning and gutted by fire.

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The storm also hit an already fragile water system, with Rand Water confirming its Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant power lines were affected, while Johannesburg Water indicated that its water systems have also been impacted by a power failure at the same treatment plant.

Hospitals among those affected

The Gauteng Department of Health said on Wednesday that due to the challenges experienced by Rand Water, which affected numerous areas including Germiston in Ekurhuleni, Bertha Gxowa Hospital experienced water shortages. However, the situation improved in the afternoon as water started flowing in from the municipal line.

“Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital is still relying on roving water tankers from Johannesburg Water and the facility’s two boreholes. Pholosong Hospital in Ekurhuleni and Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg are now back to normal as the water supply has been restored,” the department said.

Fire but no light

The blaze at Pyramid Substation in Tshwane burnt the transformer, including the container, before spreading into the High-Tension yard.

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“Emergency Services was quick to respond and managed to extinguish the fire. Power has been restored at the Rooiwal Power Station, but the rest of the customers, including Rooiwal Waste Treatment Plant and the farming communities supplied from the substation are still out,” said City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba.

Tshwane MMC for Utilities Themba Fosi said while the Pyramid substation had sustained extensive damage, the Rooiwal Power Station was not destroyed and was providing power.