The City of Tshwane has promised to repair a broken pump at the Bronkhorstspruit water treatment plant next week because the motor required to operate the pump would be delivered on March 12.
The new pump, according to the City, was expected to be made available on Friday by the supplier.
Municipal spokesperson Selby Bokaba said: “Installation of the pump and motor will start on Tuesday and be completed latest by Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
“Restoration of water supply to affected areas will then commence and more areas will start receiving water due to the increased pumping capacity from next Wednesday onwards.”
Last week, residents embarked on protests after they were forced to endure a prolonged outage following a breakdown of a pump at the water treatment plant.
The Pretoria News reported on Thursday that a group of elderly women from Rethabiseng township camped outside a municipal building in Region 7, demanding the City to provide water to residents.
MMC for Utilities and Regional Operations and Coordination, Themba Fosi, said the affected areas included Rethabiseng, Ekandustria, Ekangala main township and Ekangala Dark City.
Bokaba said the broken pump was a critical component for the distribution of water to the reservoirs supplying drinkable water to the consumers.
The City, he said, was pleased that it has made great strides towards temporary supply of water to some parts of Region 7.
“After intense consultations with various stakeholders, an instruction was issued to close the valve supplying water to the CBD for a day on March 7 so that all water can be redirected to Ekandustria, Ekangala and Rethabiseng,”Bokaba said.
He said the Bronkhorstspruit/Zithobeni reservoir has been heavily throttled to hold water back so that the reservoir didn’t run dry.
“Residents in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas may experience low water pressure or no water at all, as a result of this action. Some residents in the areas that have not had water for longer periods have already confirmed water flow in their taps, while others said there is a gradual build-up of water supply, albeit at a slow pace,” he said.
Bokaba further said the City was embarking on erecting a new fence around the plant to better secure the plant and prevent access suspected to be conducive for sabotage and arson.
“A contractor has been issued with an instruction to conduct an assessment. Furthermore, two new pumps will be ordered for the plant, and additional capacity will be sourced for technical skills required to improve management of the plant,” said Bokaba.
Pretoria News
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