Municipality says teams are working to restore water supply
Municipality says its working around the clock to recover reservoir levels.
The Newcastle Municipality has released a formal statement regarding the ongoing water supply interruptions affecting most parts of Newcastle.
The update follows a site visit by Newcastle Mayor Councillor Xolani Dube, accompanied by councillors and members of the public, to the affected pump station.
According to municipal spokesperson Musa Ngcobo, the visit formed part of the municipality’s ongoing efforts to assess the situation on the ground, engage directly with technical teams and contractors, and obtain a clear and comprehensive update on the interventions being implemented to restore a stable and reliable water supply.
During the engagement, the municipality met with the contractor responsible for the intervention and received an update on the progress of the work.
“We can confirm that the pump station is operational, however, the system is currently operating below its full capacity. Of the three pumps serving the system, two are currently operational, while the third pump is undergoing repairs,” Ngcobo said.
The repair of the third pump remains a priority, as its return to service will significantly strengthen the system’s pumping capacity and support the full restoration of water supply to affected areas.
To expedite the process, the municipality said additional contractors have been brought in to support the operation and increase the resources available on the ground.
“Technical teams and contractors are working continuously, including after-hours, to ensure that the outstanding work is completed as quickly as practically possible,” he explained.
Repairs continue as reservoir levels rebuild
In addition to repairing the third pump, Ngcobo said the municipality is focused on rebuilding the water level in the reservoir to stabilise the system and enable the effective distribution of water throughout the network.
The reservoir has a capacity of approximately 10 million litres and needs to reach at least 70% capacity to provide sufficient storage and enable the system to distribute water more effectively across the network.
“As the reservoir level is progressively rebuilt, water will be introduced into the distribution network in stages. Consequently, some areas may experience low water pressure, intermittent supply, or may continue to experience no water while the system recovers and the remaining pump is being repaired.”
Ngcobo further emphasised that the fact that some areas were already receiving water did not mean the entire system had been fully restored.
“The restoration process will take place progressively as reservoir levels increase, pumping capacity improves and pressure is rebuilt throughout the distribution network.”
While technical teams continue working towards full restoration, the municipality will continue deploying water tankers to affected areas to provide residents with access to water as an interim relief measure.
Tankers provide interim relief to affected residents
He continued: “The municipality recognises that tanker supply cannot substitute a normal reticulated water supply. However, this intervention will continue for as long as necessary while the technical teams work to restore the system to full operational capacity.”
Ngcobo said the municipality understood the frustration, inconvenience and hardship caused by the ongoing water challenges and sincerely apologised to all affected residents and stakeholders for the disruption.
“The municipality, together with the technical teams and contractors, remains fully seized with the matter. Work is continuing around the clock to repair the outstanding pump, rebuild reservoir levels and restore the water distribution system to full capacity.”
The deployment of additional contractors, according to Ngcobo, is intended to strengthen the operation and expedite the outstanding work, while the municipality continues to closely monitor progress on the ground.
Residents are being asked to exercise patience and allow the system sufficient time to stabilise.
Even once pumping capacity has been restored, he said the network would still require time to rebuild pressure and refill affected sections.
“As a result, some areas may receive water before others, while higher-lying areas may initially experience lower pressure,” he said.
He promised that further updates would be communicated to the public as progress is made and more areas are progressively restored.
“The Municipality appreciates the patience, cooperation and understanding of residents during this challenging period and reiterates its commitment to restoring a stable, reliable and sustainable water supply to all affected communities,” he concluded.
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