Carletonville reservoir sinkholes still unattended amid ongoing water crisis
One threatens the main pipeline’s stability.
While many Carletonville residents faced water outages and pressure problems this week, the Merafong City Local Municipality has yet to take action on two dangerous sinkholes near the town’s main water reservoir.
By Tuesday, July 29, many households remained without consistent water supply. The situation worsened over the weekend following a municipal notice stating that Rand Water had requested a temporary shutdown for urgent repairs. However, the notice was only sent after 18:00 — despite the scheduled repair period being from 14:00 to 18:00 — leaving residents with no time to prepare for the disruption.
Adding to the crisis is the ongoing inaccessibility of the 007 reservoir, which has been out of operation due to safety concerns.
A large sinkhole, first reported in 2023, continues to grow dangerously close to the main pipeline from the reservoir. It has already eroded most of the ground beneath one of the pipeline’s braces, placing the entire structure at risk of collapse.
A second sinkhole, located next to the pump station, has deteriorated further since it caved in in January 2024. A visit to the site by The Herald on Monday confirmed that neither of the sinkholes has been repaired. No workers or contractors were present, and there were no visible signs of progress.
These growing threats raise serious concerns over Carletonville’s water infrastructure stability — at a time when residents can least afford further complications.
Although The Herald sent detailed questions to the municipality on Monday, no response was received by the time of publication.
See videos of the sinkholes here:
@carletonvilleherald The growing sinkhole next to the main pipeline to the Carletonville reservoir across from the 007 shopping complex. Video taken on Monday July 28. #sinkholes #merafong #gauteng #service
@carletonvilleherald While parts of Carletonville do not have water, the Merafong City Local Municipality has done nothing about this sinkhole at the town’s reservoir. #sinkhole #gauteng #merafong #service
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