The Tshwane metro has activated an emergency operational plan to manage the impact of Rand Water’s planned maintenance shutdown scheduled from May 29 – June 2.

The planned maintenance on the Palmiet and Zuikerbosch Water systems is expected to affect supply to 69 reservoirs across regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, resulting in low water pressure and intermittent water outages in several communities.

According to the metro, it was officially notified by Rand Water and Eskom of the maintenance operation and has since implemented measures aimed at reducing disruption to residents during the shutdown period.

MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo said the metro has been preparing extensively for the planned maintenance and remains focused on ensuring communities continue receiving access to water.

“While this planned maintenance will place pressure on parts of the water network, residents should be assured that the city has activated extensive operational measures to manage the impact and support affected communities throughout this period,” said Boshielo.

Boshielo said as part of the metro preparations, reservoirs supplied through the affected Rand Water systems are currently being filled to maximum capacity ahead of the shutdown.

He stated that the metro is also throttling outlet valves in certain areas to regulate excessive consumption and preserve available supply for longer periods during the maintenance window.

To strengthen response capacity, Boshielo said the procurement process for an additional 181 water tankers is underway to augment the existing municipal fleet of 36 tankers.

The Emergency Shutdown Operations Centre has also been activated to co-ordinate real-time monitoring of reservoir levels, water tanker deployment and system recovery during the maintenance period.

“Our teams will remain on the ground monitoring reservoir levels, co-ordinating water tanker deployment and responding to areas experiencing difficulties.

We are approaching this shutdown in a co-ordinated and proactive manner to protect residents and maintain service continuity as far as possible,” Boshielo said.

He urged residents to use water sparingly during the shutdown period to help preserve available supply across the network and support system recovery efforts.

Boshielo also warned that while the maintenance work may conclude within the scheduled timeframe, some reservoirs and network systems could require additional time to recover fully, meaning some communities may continue experiencing delayed restoration of normal water supply.

“We thank residents for their patience, co-operation and understanding during this period. The city remains fully committed to keeping communities informed, mitigating the impact of the shutdown and ensuring that no community is left unsupported while recovery processes are underway,” he said.

The metro said the multiparty coalition government remains committed to improving long-term water security and strengthening infrastructure resilience across Pretoria.

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