Reservoirs to cushion impact of 30-hour water shutdowns
With the upgrade of the Vaalbank Purification Plant, water will be pumped into reservoirs ahead of each interruption and should last a maximum of 24 hours before water is no longer available.
A recent process audit conducted by the municipality revealed that the ageing infrastructure at the Vaalbank Water Purification Plant is no longer effectively treating water to the required standards.
As a result, the municipality has implemented scheduled water shutdowns to facilitate refurbishment work at the plant.
Musiiwa Gangashe, an engineer at the Department of Water and Sanitation, spoke to journalists at a media briefing at the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
He assured residents that the temporary inconvenience is necessary to secure long-term water stability for the area.
The upgrades include improvements to the bulk electrical supply, the construction of new sludge ponds, the refurbishment of an ageing pump that has reached the end of its operational lifespan, and the replacement of electrical motors.
The first planned 30-hour water shutdown will commence tomorrow (March 4) to allow for a critical upgrade at the Vaalbank Water Purification Plant.
The shutdown will affect all areas supplied by the plant, with interruptions taking place on different dates in accordance with the municipality’s published schedule.
The refurbishment project aims to address the old infrastructure at the plant and improve potable water quality.
The municipality confirmed that the 30-hour water interruption will occur once a week over the next eight weeks as part of the scheduled maintenance programme at the Vaalbank Water Purification Plant.
Officials indicated that should the shutdown extend beyond the planned time frames, a one-week break will be implemented before the next scheduled interruption to allow the system to stabilise.
To minimise disruptions, water will be pumped into reservoirs ahead of each interruption. Supply is expected to last up to 24 hours before taps run dry.
During each shutdown, continuous monitoring will be conducted to assess progress and ensure safety standards are maintained.
Residents are advised to use water sparingly and collect sufficient water for use during the scheduled shutdown periods.
