WATCH: Water supply disrupted in Johannesburg after lightning strike

Johannesburg residents found themselves grappling with water supply disruptions following a lightning strike that damaged the Eldorado substation on Monday evening, impacting the operations of Rand Water’s Eikenhof pump station.

According to the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda, the Eldorado Substation feeds Orlando and subsequently the Eikenhof pump station.

“This occurred at around 20:45 during the storms that covered Johannesburg, and the City Power Technical Teams successfully restored power around 23:00,” he said.

Gwamanda said a few water supply systems have been affected and are now empty. However, a comprehensive assessment will be made after the morning peak demand, as in some instances the impact could be delayed.

The systems that are affected currently are Waterval Tower, Linden 1 Tower, ⁠Orlando East Reservoir, Honeydew Reservoir, Honeydew Tower, Brixton Reservoir, Hursthill 1 Reservoir and Hurst Hill 2 Reservoir.

The City urges residents in the above areas and across the city to use water sparingly to minimise wastage as the City assesses the impact of the lightning strike on the system.

Watch Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda visit the Orlando substation following a trip on Monday evening.