[Update: March 6: 08:22]

City Power’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena has confirmed that power has been restored at the Eikenhof substation after one of the feederboards experienced a flash-over (an electric discharge over or around the surface of an insulator) on Monday, March 4.

Parts of Blairgowrie, Randpark Ridge and Olivedale may still be experiencing water issues due to the reduced supply to reservoirs.

According to Mangena, Rand Water has been advised to prioritise restoring water to affected customers.

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Pumping has been resumed at Eikenhof. However, the system may take a few days to fully recover.

Water pumping is interrelated to electricity and electrical trips from Rand Water electricity suppliers impact our consistent pumping.#RWWaterDemand #RWWaterSupply [NS]

— Rand Water (@Rand_Water) March 6, 2024

SA’s water crisis | Repairs complete at Eikenhof substation https://t.co/tvu3HUr0Td

— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) March 6, 2024

#JoburgUpdates ^P pic.twitter.com/HxcvRouhEV

— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) March 6, 2024

[Update: March 5: 15:10]

City Power teams have completed the repairs and testing on one of the two feederboards affected by last night’s flash-over.
“The feederboard has been successfully energised, allowing City Power to restore 50% of the power supply to the Rand Water Board,” said City Power’s spokesperson, Isaac Mangena.

“This allows them to start pumping water at half their capacity to feed their customers that were affected. We are still confident of restoring 100% power supply by this evening as initially planned.”

#CityPowerUpdates #ReuvenSDC

RandWater Emergency Repairs Update ⬇️^LT pic.twitter.com/D3er6v9qRE

— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) March 5, 2024

#CityPowerUpdates#CityPowerOutages#ReuvenSDC

General Manager for the Reuven SDC, Mr Rakefa Makgoro providing updates on the work done so far at Eikenhof Substation. ^TM pic.twitter.com/OChY0NSYgb

— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) March 5, 2024

[Update: March 5: 11:50]

Repairs are currently underway at the Eikenhof substation after one of the feederboards experienced a flash-over (an electric discharge over or around the surface of an insulator) on Monday, March 4.

According to City Power’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena, tests are currently underway, and one side has already tested clear. “We are busy testing the breakers on one side of the cleared feederboard. Should this test pass, we should be able to restore at least 50% of the load,” he said.

#CityPowerUpdates

See Randwater Eikenhof update below ⬇️ ^LT pic.twitter.com/6TiYt1Gps6

— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) March 5, 2024

“We believe that we are still on track to finish all the work and restore power supply to the Rand Water Board by this evening [March 5].

The Joburg Water and City Power teams are still investigating the cause of the flash-over.

#JoburgUpdates ^P pic.twitter.com/x8LYQy6PgX

— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) March 5, 2024

[Initial: March 5: 09:00]

City Power is conducting emergency repairs on a feederboard at the Eikenhof substation after one of the isolators experienced a flash-over on Monday, March 4.

According to City Power’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the incident happened around 20:00 and affected the dedicated transformer supplying power to the Rand Water Board pump station.

“Rand Water is currently not pumping water, and unfortunately, no alternative supply is available,” he said.

“City Power teams reacted swiftly and are on-site working on solutions. We will dismantle the feederboard where the flash-over occurred to do the repairs and pressure-test it before attempting to restore it.
We, unfortunately, anticipate this work to go on until Tuesday[March 5] evening.”

Here are Johannesburg Water systems that are affected in Randburg and parts of Northcliff:

• Waterval and Weltevreden (Blairgowrie reservoir, Boschkop reservoir, Constantia tower, Cosmo City reservoir, Florida North tower, Helderkruin reservoir and tower, Honeydew reservoir and tower, Horizon tower, Kensington B reservoir and tower, Linden 1 reservoir and tower, Linden 2 reservoir, Quellerina tower, Randpark Ridge reservoir, Waterval tower, Olivedale reservoir, Robertsville reservoir and Witpoortjie reservoir and tower)
• Commando System (Crosby reservoir, Brixton reservoir and tower and Hursthill 1 and 2 reservoirs.

#JoburgUpdates ^P pic.twitter.com/IUH7mqNkTR

— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) March 4, 2024

Many took to X to express their frustrations on this water outage:

No water in Kensington B! You posted this update 7 hours ago. How can this not be fixed? Thousands of homes cannot cook, clean or get washed for work this morning! Please help us!!

— ConcernedResident (@ConcernedR59730) March 5, 2024

Please advise as to when you will be providing water tankers to the affected areas??????

— Janine Latheron (@JLatheron) March 5, 2024

Then JHB Water expect Full Payment at the end of the Month from there customers 🥵🥵🥵🥵

— Shereen (@Shereen94014959) March 5, 2024

Our water in Bramley north has just cut without warning at 6:15am this morning!! Why don’t you communicate properly so we can plan our lives around your constant water shedding!!!!

— Ayesha_Variawa (@mindful_parent1) March 5, 2024

Entering day 3 with no water (Linden Reservoir). Is there information available on tanker locations in Randburg?

— Christine* (@TheGoodGreeff) March 5, 2024

For more updates, follow Johannesburg Water on their X and Facebook pages.

Related Article: City Power to replace a vandalised transformer in Blairgowrie