Metro explores possibilities to solve Laudium water problem

The metro is looking at solutions to prevent future water cuts such as the one recently experienced by residents from Laudium, Claudius, Erasmia and Itireleng.

“We experienced new problems the past month with supplying water to high-lying areas,” said utility services and regional operations MMC Phillip Nel.

“After we analysed pressure and volume on the line from Mnandi to Wonderboom, we have been convinced that Rand Water was throttling our water supply.

“We struggled to get answers from Rand Water and challenged them in the media. Then discussions with the Gauteng premier and the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, followed.”

Nel said during the last discussion of the issue, role players looked at long-term intervention and feeding the line from high-pressure lines are being considered.

“We are currently exploring the possibility and evaluating the infrastructure so that it poses no risk for the areas in which those high-pressure lines occur,” Nel said.

“However,” Nel warned, “residents must note that we need to save water right through the entire country because more water is consumed than can be supplied.”

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said Rand Water committed to releasing more water to the city to assist high-lying areas.

“The metro visited the Laudium reservoir to meet with our management and technical teams to assess the causes of the continued water outage in the western part of Tshwane,” Mashigo said.

“A high-lying reservoir such as the one in Laudium is 103m higher than the point where we get water from Rand Water. To get water to the reservoir we need Rand Water to supply effective pressure levels.

“The maximum pressure we have received in the last couple of weeks is 10 bar (100 metres static pressure) which is not sufficient to fill the reservoir,” Mashigo said.

He said the hydraulic analysis indicated that a minimum pressure of 13,5 bar (135 metres static pressure) is required to be able to fill the reservoirs.

“The maximum supply we have been receiving of 10 bar is far below the 13,5 bar that is needed. We have now indicated factually to Rand Water that their current supply is not able to fill our reservoirs,” Mashigo said.

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“The Tshwane metro, as one of Rand Water’s largest customers, has been working around the clock to convince the entity to fix their supply. Metro leadership also wrote to the MEC for Cogta in Gauteng province to request his intervention in the issue.”

Mashigo said after having engaged with Rand Water, it has now committed to supplying water from their side to fill up the reservoirs in high-lying areas.

“We hope that this intervention will improve the Rand Water supply to the city. Our team will be monitoring the situation with the reservoirs to ensure the supply not only increases but is maintained to restore water to the affected communities.”

Rand Water spokesperson Eddie Singo said Rand Water has been supplying Tshwane with the required amount of water.

“So far, we are not aware of any challenges related to Rand Water’s supply,” Singo said.

Rekord reported last week water supply to Laudium was restored on Saturday after the suburb experienced problems with water cuts since September 17.

Community members also approached a court of law with an urgent interdict to compel Tshwane metro and Rand Water to supply them with water on Friday

The minister said access to water is a fundamental and constitutional right and instructed that immediate action be taken.

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