City Power is feeling the effects of sustained heavy rainfall on its operations across Johannesburg, with over 2 000 logged queries reported this morning.

The wet weather has led to an increase in outages and has hindered our restoration efforts, as teams are struggling to access areas that are waterlogged.

“The heavy rainfall over the past few days has impacted our ability to respond quickly to faults, resulting in prolonged outages,” said City Power communications officer Isaac Mangena.

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“Several roads have been closed by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) due to safety concerns after low-lying bridges were flooded, particularly in the Roodepoort and Lenasia areas.”

Additionally, fallen trees have blocked roads in Hursthill, Parkview, and Randburg, and some of these trees have damaged our overhead lines, causing further outages. Before our teams can reach certain areas, we must wait for the JRA and City Parks to clear the roads and remove fallen trees. The inclement weather has also resulted in underground cable faults due to excessive moisture.

These conditions have made it extremely challenging to locate faults, as the equipment used for detection is less effective in waterlogged environments.

“Repairing underground cables has become increasingly difficult due to waterlogged trenches, which delay our response efforts,” Mangena explained.

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“This morning, we recorded 545 active logged queries in the Hursthill Service Delivery Centre, most related to multiple outages.”

Affected areas include Rosebank, Pennyville, Kathrada Park, Westbury South, Fordsburg North, Fairlands West, and Coronationville.

Roodepoort has logged 498 queries, with outages reported in Matholesville, Tshepisong, Wilgeheuwel, Strubensvalley, Florida Lake, Florida Park, Fleurhof, Delarey, Lufhereng, and other regions.

The Inner City is also under pressure, with 430 calls logged about outages at Bree, Van Beek, and Orchards substations.

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Reuven recorded 274 calls, primarily linked to the outage in Mondeor. In Lenasia, there are just over 200 open calls regarding outages in areas such as Lindelani, Lenasia South, Ennerdale extensions, Lawley 2, and Freedom Park East.

Randburg has reported over 200 queries concerning outages in Northriding, Aureole, Montrose, and surrounding areas.

Additionally, Alexandra has 181 open calls due to outages around the Lombardy area caused by damaged overhead lines and cable faults.

Midrand has the least, with only 61 calls logged regarding outages at the Allandale Substation and Greenstone Hill Switching Station, affecting Mayibuye, Rabie Ridge, and Stoneridge.

“Although there have been significant delays, our teams are working around the clock to resolve the outages.

“We have also deployed additional resources to alleviate pressure in the most affected areas. While expanding our resources, it is essential to emphasise that safety is our top priority,” Mangena said.

Technicians cannot operate in areas where water, exposed cables, and unstable ground may pose a high risk of electrical hazards or equipment failure, jeopardising their safety.

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Customers are reminded to keep appliances unplugged, as power may be restored without prior notice.

“We also encourage those not experiencing power supply interruptions to use electricity sparingly to avoid causing overloads.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and urge customers to remain patient as we work to resolve outages across the city.”

To log queries, visit citypower.mobi or contact us at 011 490 7484.