#RandWaterShutdown: Blairgowrie and Randpark Ridge residents associations are unhappy with the water shutdown
Boskruin and Olivedale libraries have also closed for the duration of the water shutdown.
Blairgowrie and Randpark Ridge residents are highly frustrated with how the Rand Water shutdown has been implemented.
This is according to chairpersons from two residents’ associations. Quinton Robbertze of Randpark Ridge Village Association (RRVA) added community members felt so defeated regarding service delivery at the moment, they rarely complained at all anymore. “We have known for a long time about the shutdown and everyone prepared but we are yet to see any shortage of water in our area,” Robbertze said. “It’s like a shot in the dark. I think the worst will happen when we are least expecting it, and then we will be without water for days.”
Community groups on social media and WhatsApp are full of talk about the shutdown and none of it is positive, he added.
Margie Roper of the Blairgowrie Community Association said the water pressure was very low in the suburb and some streets have already run out of water.
Despite sharing and posting news about the shutdown on the association’s social media platforms, and it being reported extensively in the news, Roper said there was still much confusion about which areas would be affected and for how long.
“Coupled with load-shedding and tripping of power substations, after almost every load-shedding, residents have had enough of poor infrastructure, poor management and lack of budget for investment in Region B,” she said.
Roper did commend local ward councillors, however, in their engagement with service providers to work on the tripping issue.
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.
The why behind the water shutdown
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.
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.
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the benefits of the shutdown included:
- Improvements to infrastructure reliability and availability
- Reduction in infrastructure breakdowns
- Flexibility, in that during maintenance work, water supply can be supplemented from another pump station system thereby reducing the effect of water supply interruptions
- Upgrades to old critical water supply infrastructure.
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