Residents across Pretoria are urged to conserve water as the Tshwane municipality faces renewed pressure on its water supply network following a week of ongoing disruptions to the Rand Water Palmiet system.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo explained that several reservoirs have once again dropped to low or depleted levels, despite the resumption of pumping.

The situation has been exacerbated by a power failure earlier this week, which significantly impacted system pressurisation.

“Several reservoirs supplied by the Palmiet system are showing rapid declines,” Mashigo confirmed.

He warned that the Laudium Reservoir is already at a low level, while the Atteridgeville High-Level Reservoir remains highly sensitive.

“Lotus Gardens Reservoir is dropping quickly, The Reeds Reservoir continues to decline steadily, and Pretoriusrand Reservoir is now depleted. Both the Soshanguve L and Soshanguve DD reservoirs are also empty,” said Mashigo.

Mashigo further explained that although pumping on the Palmiet system has resumed, the recent power failure caused a significant setback just as the network was beginning to stabilise.

As a result, the city’s water network has re-entered a recovery phase, with teams actively working to repressurise the system.

However, he noted that the recovery process remains slow because upstream Rand Water Palmiet reservoirs are still very low, which limits how quickly water levels and pressure can be restored.

“To support the most critical areas, an emergency intervention has been implemented. Supply from the Heights Reservoir system is being diverted to stabilise the Laudium and Atteridgeville High-Level reservoirs,” he stated.

However, Mashigo cautioned that this intervention has its limits.

“Unfortunately, this intervention cannot be extended to Pretoriusrand, Lotus Gardens, and The Reeds reservoirs, as these areas remain fully dependent on the recovery of Rand Water pressures,” he said.

He confirmed that the city’s technical teams are closely monitoring reservoir levels and system pressures around the clock and will adjust operations where possible to safeguard the available supply.

Mashigo concluded by assuring residents that further updates will be provided as improvements are recorded and the system continues to stabilise.

He also thanked residents for their patience and ongoing cooperation during this challenging period.

ALSO READ: Water supply troubles continue following Palmiet shutdown

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel