The Tshwane metro has begun work to repair the Lynnwood Reservoir following a leak which forced the facility to operate at limited capacity.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said water supply to the reservoir would be shut down on June 2 to allow for repairs on the wall joint and floor slab.

“The City of Tshwane will, from June 2, shut down water supply to the Lynnwood Reservoir in order to repair leakages identified in the reservoir’s wall joint and floor slab,” said Mashigo.

He explained that the reservoir must first be drained before any repair work can begin.

Mashigo added that, unfortunately, prior to the said repairs, the reservoir has to be completely drained to allow a thorough inspection and assessment of the leakage points.

“The draining process is expected to last approximately four days. As soon as the reservoir is completely empty, technicians will commence with the repairs to the identified leaks.”

Mashigo said residents may experience low water pressure and intermittent water supply as reservoir levels drop during the draining process.

According to Mashigo, the repair period cannot be anticipated at this point. However, customers will be updated on the developments,” he said.

Areas expected to be affected include Lynnrodene, Lynnwood, Lynnwood Glen, Lynnwood Glen Ext 2, Lynnwood Manor, Menlo Park, and Persequor Ext 10.

Businesses and institutions such as Atterbury Theatre, Glenfair Boulevard, the Greek Embassy, Sarnal, St Alban’s College, Town Lodge, and Woodii Glen Centre may also experience disruptions.

The repairs follow months of concern over a leak first reported in November 2024.

Earlier this year, the metro confirmed that the reservoir, which was built in 1968, could only operate at about 50% capacity while water levels were managed below the leak point.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller welcomed the commencement of the repairs, saying residents had consistently raised concerns about the condition of the reservoir and the lack of funding allocated to the project.

“They’re finally getting to the Lynnwood Reservoir. I think the public participation on the IDP helped because it was not on the IDP,” said Muller.

She said residents had repeatedly questioned why the repairs had not been prioritised sooner and expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the restoration of water supply.

“They say it’s going to take four days to drain the reservoir, but they can’t tell you how long it will take before we will have water again. If a reservoir takes four days to drain, it’s going to take a while to put enough water back in before they can start pumping to homes.”

Muller also criticised what she described as insufficient communication around the shutdown.

According to her, the metro did not warn the residents and businesses about the outage.

Despite her concerns, Muller said she was pleased that the long-awaited repairs were finally taking place.

Mashigo has apologised for the inconvenience and urged residents to conserve water by avoiding the use of hosepipes, not filling swimming pools, and making use of grey water where possible during the repair period.

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