Water crisis: This time you can blame a valve

Areas in Tshwane have seen a delay in the return of water supply due to tampering of a valve.

The City revealed this on Monday – now the third week of water supply challenges experienced in Gauteng and the North West.

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When a valve had been found closed in Johannesburg last week, many councillors and residents blamed this – and a perceived incompetence on the part of Johannesburg Water for allowing something so simple to be overseen – as the reason behind the water outages.

But Joburg Water debunked this, saying that while the opening of the valve assisted with building capacity at reservoirs, the main cause of the non-supply was due to the series of power outages at Eikenhof pump station.

ALSO READ: Joburg Water blames heat and poor rainfall for lack of supply

Tampering of valve

Now, the neighbouring City of Tshwane found on Monday that a valve had indeed been tampered with.

“The City of Tshwane is dismayed following the discovery of an intrusion into a chamber
housing where the cross-border valve is located,” the municipality’s spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said.

“The valve regulates and controls the flow of water to Ekangala and Rethabiseng areas in Region 7. The Water and Sanitation Department observed a decrease in pressure and ultimately no water supply in the area this morning.

“Upon inspection, it was discovered that the said valve, which is located at Ekangala, had been tampered with.”

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The City said it had promptly enlisted the services of the Tshwane Metro Police Department to escort its technicians to the site so they could raise the mechanism used to prevent water flow.

“The mechanism has since been lifted and the water pressure is expected to increase,” Mashigo added.

“The City would like to send out a strong warning to those tampering with its infrastructure that
such actions border on criminality, and if caught, they will be arrested and prosecuted.

“Residents are urged to report any suspicious activity around the City’s infrastructure to the Tshwane Metro Police Department on 012-358-7095/6.”

ALSO READ: Closed valve did not cause water crisis, says Johannesburg Water