City Power has issued an apology to residents in the Illovo, Melrose, Hyde Park, and Athol areas who are currently experiencing a lengthy power supply interruption. The outage, originating from the Cydna substation, was first reported on Saturday, March 8 and has left the majority of customers without electricity since then.

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As of now, power has been restored to only approximately 40% of the affected areas. The ongoing challenges have been attributed to multiple cable faults discovered beneath a concrete slab on a private property, which initially delayed repair efforts due to the need for property owner access.

Fortunately, City Power has secured the necessary permissions and is making significant progress toward a comprehensive resolution. The technician team has outlined a multi-step process to address the fault:

1. Fault detection: The team is currently utilising specialised testing equipment to locate the underground cable faults accurately.

2. Trenching: Upon identifying the fault locations, technicians will break through the concrete slab and excavate the area to expose the faulty cables.

3. Repair of faults: Once the cables are unearthed, the team will commence repairs on the three identified faults. This stage involves approximately six joints, each requiring close to 90 minutes to complete. City Power has assured residents that an estimated time for full restoration will be communicated once this stage begins.

Also read: City Powers teams make substantial headway in restoring power to affected areas

4. Final testing: Following the repairs, technicians will conduct thorough testing to ensure a safe and reliable return of power to all customers affected by the outage.

City Power acknowledges the age of the infrastructure in the region and reassures residents that plans are in place for future upgrades aimed at enhancing service quality.

“We recognise that this outage has caused considerable inconvenience for many of our customers. Our team is working around the clock and has even enlisted additional resources to expedite the restoration process,” City Power stated.

In light of the ongoing outage, City Power has also advised residents to unplug all electrical appliances to prevent potential damage during the restoration efforts. Updates on the progress will continue to be provided throughout the day, and the company expresses its gratitude for the understanding and patience demonstrated by the community during this challenging time.

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