Tackling the crisis: Mayor leads water recovery inspections
Municipal leadership steps in as engineers work to restore pressure and fix pump station issues.
After frustration overwhelmed the community, where even councillor Jaco Holtshauzen blocked a busy road in protest, Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) stepped in.
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Mayoral spokesperson Palesa Molefe said Mayor Lucky Sele, along with councillor Peter Modise (who is a Member of the Mayoral Committee for Infrastructure Development Services), visited key water infrastructure sites on May 23 and 24. The inspection covered the Kenmare Water Pump Station, Factoria Reservoir, Munsieville Reservoir, Dan Pienaar Reservoir, Western Bypass, and Rand Water Depot.
“This visit comes in response to ongoing water supply disruptions affecting several areas in the municipality.
The aim was to understand the causes of the slow water recovery, review the state of infrastructure, and strengthen coordination with Rand Water and other partners,” Molefe revealed.
On May 23, Rand Water’s output was 530.8 kilolitres per hour, which increased to 750 kilolitres per hour the next day.
“Despite this improvement, technical reports show that pump stations are still struggling due to inconsistent water flow, low pressure, and slow system recovery.”
Reservoir levels in areas like Kenmare, Rant-en-Dal, Munsieville, Lewisham, and parts of Noordheuwel remained critically low, with some even below 20%, which is too low for proper water distribution.
Molefe continued that further issues like airlocks in the pipelines and ageing pump equipment are making the situation worse.
Mayor Sele emphasised that the municipality is taking urgent action. Engineers have been told to speed up repairs and pressure adjustments.
We’ve raised this with the province, and stabilising the water supply is now our top priority,” said Sele.
Fortunately, most areas were restored by Sunday morning, May 25.
“The municipality will keep monitoring the system to maintain a stable supply and pressure. Residents are asked to use water wisely and report any leaks or illegal usage. Water tankers are still being used to support the hardest-hit areas,” Molefe concluded.
