A power failure affecting a pumping station in Ekurhuleni left it out of operation for more than 14 hours, threatening the water supply.
Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: iStock
Large parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga could be without water the day before the highly anticipated 2026 local government elections.
Rand Water and the City of Ekurhuleni confirmed that a power outage affecting the area around the Mapleton pumping station had occurred on Monday evening at around 8.30pm.
Pumping at the station was immediately halted, and as of Tuesday morning, the electricity supply to the site had not been restored.
Rand Water stressed that it had no control over power restoration and could only resume pumping once the issue was resolved.
“Rand Water has requested the City of Ekurhuleni to treat this outage as an emergency,” the entity confirmed.
No restoration time relayed
As of 10.30am on Tuesday, no pumping was occurring at the Mapleton station, reservoirs were low, and no restoration time was available.
“The station has been unable to pump water since the interruption. Failure to repair the breaker and resolve this critical outage with the urgency it demands has left water supply to affected municipalities at risk.
The entity said low reservoir levels and supply interruptions were not due to bulk water supply shortages, but to operational challenges, infrastructure limitations, high consumption, and water-level recovery timeframes.
“Rand Water plays a critical role in supplying bulk water to municipalities. However, water supply challenges need to be understood in the context of the entire water supply chain, from bulk supply to taps,” the entity stated.
As of 11.10am on Tuesday, the substation powering the pump station had been energised to 50%, with full power yet to be restored.
“Repairs are underway following damage to a breaker caused by a lightning strike last night, further updates will be provided as progress is made,” Rand Water confirmed.
Affected municipalities
Rand Water stated that should pumping not resume urgently, areas in the following municipalities could experience water supply challenges:
- Ekurhuleni
- Tshwane
- Thembsilie Hani
- Victor Khanye
- Govan Mbeki
- Lesedi
Stabilising the system requires Rand Water and the affected municipalities to work together, with clear communication, effective demand management and coordinated operational interventions.
Rather than assigning blame, the priority must be to identify the cause, communicate the facts openly, and implement lasting measures that restore and protect water security for communities,” Rand Water concluded.
