#RandWaterShutdown: Live updates on the Rand Water outage

It is no exaggeration to say the Rand Water shutdown has been met with panic and frustration in equal measure.

Few residents accepted the necessary maintenance of infrastructure being carried out at a time when so many areas are already experiencing water outages.

Update, July 13: 15:00

Randburg SPCA asks for water, Ann Harding and Oasis Haven are managing

• Ann Harding Cheshire Home has its own borehole and fundraising manager Jackie Kyle said they are doing fine.
• Randburg SPCA however, ran out of running water on July 13 and is requesting fill-ups to any degree for its water tanks (one 6 000-litre tank and another 2 500-litre tank).
• Oasis Haven, which has two children’s homes in Robin Hills, ran out of water the day after the SPCA, on July 14. “We do have boreholes at the homes,” said fundraising manager, Qondani Tshuma.

Read more: 

#RandWaterShutdown: Randburg SPCA asks for water, Ann Harding and Oasis Haven are managing

RCCI says businesses are suffering amid water shutdown:

• Business owners feel exasperated as they battle load-shedding and a water shutdown at the same time.

• Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Linda Blackbeard said without water some staff can’t operate, and the ablution areas cannot be serviced properly.
• “RCCI understands the need to service the infrastructure,” she said. “However so many hours without water in the taps is a rough call for anyone. Not only to the residents and old age homes, but it’s also the businesses in general that suffer.”

Read more: 

#RandWaterShutdown: RCCI says businesses are suffering amid water shutdown

Water update

Rand Water have just announced that the work at the Eikenhof pumping station has been completed.

🚨WATER UPDATE🚨
We wish to report that the work at Eikenhof pumping station has been completed.#RandWater #PlannedMaintenance #A19Pipeline #B14Pipeline #RW120YearsofExcellence #WaterSustainability [NS]

— Rand Water (@Rand_Water) July 14, 2023

Media statement

• The repairs that were conducted during the planned Rand Water shutdown, from Tuesday, 11 July at 19:00, to Friday morning at 05:00, have been completed and Johannesburg Water systems are gradually recovering.

Here are some of the challenges that Johannesburg Water encountered with the water shutdown:

• The Zwartkopjes repairs, which were supposed to take 24 hours, were only completed at 01:00 on Thursday, 13 July, as opposed to 19:00 on Wednesday, 12 July.
• There was no continuous pumping of the 24% of water at the Eikenhof Booster Station that was supposed to take place throughout the shutdown. There was no pumping on Wednesday night, resulting in Soweto and Lenasia systems being critically low to empty. By Thursday, the Eikenhof system was empty.
• The entity did not get the 300 megalitres of extra water pumping into Johannesburg Water systems as promised by the bulk supplier.

Although work has been completed, Johannesburg Water customers are reminded that full recovery will take five to 14 days.

Pumping resumes at Zwartkopjes system 

• The Rand Water shutdown is scheduled to end on Friday, 14 July at 05:00, having begun on Tuesday, 11 July at 19:00.
• Full recovery of the affected Johannesburg Water systems will take five to 14 days
• “Customers are further notified that, since the reservoirs have run empty in some areas, the recovery of high-lying areas can take
  several days to be fully restored,” confirmed Rand Water.
• Johannesburg Water continues to prioritise critical areas such as hospitals, clinics, and old age homes by providing alternative water supply.
• As at Thursday afternoon, the entity had deployed an additional 111 stationary tanks and 54 additional water trucks to service residents during the shutdown

Boskruin and Olivedale Libraries close

• Library and Information Services management has advised that libraries within the area affected by the water shutdown will be closed from July 12 until 14.
• This includes the much-used Olivedale and Boskruin libraries.

Parts of Blairgowrie are without water while Randburg libraries have closed due to a water shutdownhttps://t.co/a0UYxKkLAY

— RandburgSun (@randburg_sun) July 13, 2023

𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 |@JHBWater has provided an additional 149 stationary tanks and 65 water trucks to mitigate the water shortage due to the Rand Water shutdown.#RandWaterShutdown #WaterShutdown #Randburg pic.twitter.com/pjMih5cbkZ

— RandburgSun (@randburg_sun) July 12, 2023

Many are also sceptical that the supply of water will be restored by the estimated time, as Rand Water and Joburg Water (JW) have a history of not meeting deadlines.

The shutdown commenced at 19:00 on July 11 and Rand Water is expected to reconnect the water network at 05:00 on July 14. However, as of July 13, JW has said the supply in some areas may take up to 10 days to return to normal.

Read more: How much water do you use?

The purpose of the planned shutdown is to complete a tie-in between the A19 and B14 with a new pipeline, installation of isolation valves, and systems upgrades at Rand Water’s Eikenhof pump station.

Related article:

#RandWaterShutdown: Blairgowrie and Randpark Ridge residents associations are unhappy with the water shutdown