Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerriero welcomed a new substation on Hattingh Street in Elandsfontein.
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Compared to the previous model, the new substation can carry up to 420kW.
“This means that those served by this substation will have a more stable power supply,” said Guerriero.
“If there is any tampering with the substation, a security company will respond, thanks to the early warning detection system that comes with the new station,“ Guerriero said.
“Every month since I started as a councillor, Elandsfontein has experienced a substation problem. Four stations are problematic within Elandsfontein.
“The new station, called the mini-sub 2, is the second in Elandsfontein to have an upgrade after the one on Barbara Road,” said Guerriero.
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He urged the community to unite in maintaining the infrastructure.
According to Guerriero, their main difficulty is illegal connections that have plagued the area at times, causing substations to malfunction.
“Emabhodeni residents steal power from substations and electricity poles.
“Some residents of Elandsfontein have illegally connected power, water and sewage lines and some bypassed their meter boxes,” Guerriero said.
“Though I believe illegal connections will continue, the mini-sub 2 substation will be able to handle that for a little longer.
“Residents experienced an eight-day power outage from April 8 while repairs took place. The new substation is of modern design. It is similar to mini-sub 1, located on the same street, which caught fire last year.
“This means that if it needs to be repaired during an outage, the process will be much faster because the parts can be quickly obtained,” said Guerriero.
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He explained it took 14 months for this project to be fully completed.
“The previous administration was able to budget for the substation because we carried out the back-to-basics mandate.
“The main worry with the previous substation was that households were experiencing a voltage supply shortage, owing to power theft from illegal connections,” said Guerriero.
He encouraged residents to report unlawful connections via community WhatsApp groups or by calling the hotline at 0860 543 000.
