After numerous complaints were laid about the water problems this past week (Read the WITBANK NEWS edition of January 24) the municipality spokesperson Mr Lebo Mofokeng had the following feedback for the residents in a media statement:
The Municipality is a Water Services Authority and Water Services Provider responsible for water services within the Municipal Jurisdictional area.
This in the main includes ensuring that there is adequate bulk potable water supply to all areas and that there is enough water retention in the system to sustain supply should there be an unforeseen event.
The main source of potable water supply in the municipality is the Witbank Water Treatment Plant situated in Woltemade Street Witbank and is supplied with raw water from the Witbank Dam to the Emalahleni Municipality.
The Witbank water treatment plant provides approximately eighty percent (80%) of the total potable water consumed in the Greater eMalahleni area and the remainder is through other water supply schemes (Mine water reclamation plant and Modular Package plant).
The raw water supply to the water plant is facilitated by pumping and piping equipment for treatment; and from there pumped to storage reservoirs for supply to consumers.
The purification of water involves in the main adding of chemicals at a determine dosages as predicted by the quality of incoming raw water and done by electromechanical equipment.
In the morning of 22 January 2020 (Wednesday) at about 04:00am during the routine inspection by the Process Controllers it was observed that water plant is flooded.
The water level was as high as one meter from the floor burying the water pipes, electrical cables, instrumentation equipment and programmable logic circuits controllers utilized for the operation of the plant.
The flooded sump is currently being emptied so as to enable the investigation of the cause of flooding and to urgently effect repair work necessary.
This has caused that the entire water treatment plant be switched off and thus no water production to consumers.
The system does still have water, however, as the demand and utilization increases there will be water supply interruption, low water pressures and no water in other parts of eMalahleni due to flooding of the Witbank Water Treatment Plant.
The municipal teams are currently busy on site and the estimated plant restoration time will be determined and communicated after the establishment of cause and repair work required.
Every effort is made to restore the water plant within the shortest time possible to minimize the impact of water shortages.
The municipality will endeavor to prioritize emergency facilities/institutions, clinics, schools etc with water supply by means of tankers, however, it should be noted that the turnaround time will be long as water is to be collected from distant areas.
The municipality apologizes for the inconvenience caused and pleads with communities to be patient and tolerant whilst it’s doing all possible to reinstate water supply and to use water sparingly all times.
