Residents in the capital Tshwane have been hit by yet another episode of so-called ‘water shedding’.
The municipality attributes the challenge to a series of breakdowns at its water treatment plant.
According to the metro, the current water outage is currently affecting areas such as Rethabiseng township, Ekandustria, Ekangala main township and Ekangala Dark City.
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) responsible for Utilities and Regional Operations and Coordination, Themba Fosi, said city officials were working tirelessly to try to and resolve the water outages affecting areas of Bronkhorstspruit.
Fosi said they were busy repairing critical equipment and needed to be realistic in their deadline that is set for Friday.
“Our primary focus is on repairing the essential pumps necessary for water distribution. However, we must address critical dependencies, including the availability of these pumps, which might affect our restoration timeline.
“To expedite the recovery process, we have implemented measures to restrict water flow from reservoirs with adequate water supply to ensure the proper refilling of reservoirs with restricted water supply.
“Additional security measures have been deployed to safeguard against any potential sabotage at the city’s water facilities,” the MMC added.
Fosi said municipality officials had constructive engagements with community leaders, which should ensure a co-ordinated response to the crisis.
“We have received assurances from councillors that they have no vested interest in water tanker operations as rumoured. The focus is solely on restoring regular water supply to residents.
“In the interim, water tankers will be deployed to assist vulnerable residents and affected communities. We urge community leaders and residents to allow these tankers to operate unhindered, as they serve as a crucial lifeline for those in need.”
He pleaded with the community to exercise extreme patience as the city officials were working to resolve the issue.
“We will continue to provide updates through our communication channels and engage with councillors for the effective dissemination of information to the communities,” Fosi said.
Tshwane is in the throes of ongoing problems with water outages, such as Mabopane residents in Block C and D, who also experienced these water bottlenecks in the last month.
Fosi communicated with residents justifying the reason officials took longer to respond. He said there was a electricity cable that was damaged when the leakage issue was being resolved.
“We have notified Eskom of the situation and our teams are standing by to commence repair work as soon as they have safely switched off the electricity supply in the area. We appreciate the patience and understanding of residents during this time.
“As a result of this unforeseen circumstances, residents in Block C and D may experience disruptions to their water supply. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Metro’s mayor Cilliers Brink assured all the affected residents that water would be restored, adding that the municipality’s priority was making sure that the water pumps were working at the purification plant.
“I know it will take time to fix this, but at present we need to get those pumps fixed and we will work with every service provider and anyone else to get the job done.
“While the work is ongoing and before we can give you a credible timeline, the city has deployed water tankers. I know the community are worried that the ward councillors are profiting with the tankers,” Brink said.
He said councillors assured him that everything was above board adding that residents should not stop water tankers from entering the locations and supplying them with water.
The Star
sipho.jack@inl.co.za