WATCH: 7 days to fully restore water in the south, says Joburg mayor
The City of Johannesburg works to recover from power failures that left thousands without water, with tankers deployed to affected areas.
The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg has assured residents that the water supply in Johannesburg South and surrounding areas will be fully restored within the next seven days.
The announcement comes amid ongoing disruptions that have left many communities without water.
Johannesburg Water systems are facing network challenges due to high demand exceeding capacity, compounded by a total power failure at Emfuleni’s substation, affecting pumping from Rand Water’s Forest Hill and Eikenhof systems.
Mayor Dada Morero explained that the City Power plant supplying electricity to the Eikenhof Pumping Station collapsed.
“City Power took about 88 hours to restore power. They managed to do so on Monday, but by then, Rand Water was already struggling and operating at only 50% capacity,” he said.
The mayor added that they are now pumping water from Rand Water into Johannesburg Water’s reservoir system.
“We believe it will take about a good seven days for the water supply to be fully restored, as around 60% of Johannesburg is currently without water.”
Morero assured residents that the city is providing water tankers to the affected areas.
“We have deployed up to 53 water tanks and have requested Johannesburg Water to increase the supply, as the current provision is not enough for the affected areas,” he said.
@southern.courier The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg has assured residents that the water supply in Johannesburg South and surrounding areas will be fully restored within the next seven days. The announcement comes amid ongoing disruptions that have left many communities without water. Mayor Dada Morero explained that the City Power plant supplying electricity to the Eikenhof Pumping Station collapsed. “City Power took about 88 hours to restore power. They managed to do so on Monday, but by then, Rand Water was already struggling and operating at only 50% capacity,” he said.
Morero apologises for the situation, acknowledging the difficulties residents are facing.
“We understand that living without water is extremely difficult, and we sincerely apologise for the challenges this has caused.”
Ward 56 Councillor Michael Crichton said the disruption began with a power failure in the Vereeniging area, which affected reservoirs such as Glenvista and the Forest Hill Water Tower.
“We are experiencing power outages at the South Hills Water Tower, which is linked to the Palmiet water system. The Kliprivier reservoir is currently very low, and I am concerned that they are focusing on one specific system that is down, and some areas may be overlooked,” Crichton added.
@southern.courier Ward 56 Councillor Michael Crichton said the disruption began with a power failure in the Vereeniging area, which affected reservoirs such as Glenvista and the Forest Hill Water Tower. “Additionally, we are experiencing power outages at the South Hills Water Tower, which is linked to the Palmiet water system. The Kliprivier reservoir is currently very low, and I am concerned that some areas may be overlooked,” Crichton added.
