Pretoria - Pretoria residents should brace themselves for a two-day drought starting on Tuesday.
Parts of the capital will be without water for two days as maintenance is done on pipelines.
According to the city, the interruption is unavoidable as the upgrading of the municipal main water supply pipelines has to be done.
Residents of Pretoria East and the Moot will be mostly affected by the planned water interruptions.
Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city would do work on the water reticulation network from Tuesday at 6am until Thursday.
Mashigo said the interruptions were due to critical repair works that need to be carried out on the water supply pipeline.
The whole operation will cost the city R12-million.
The plumbers will be on site installing a steel pipe which is 1.2m in diameter at the intersection of Blouhaak and Rubenstein streets in Moreleta Park.
Mashigo said the installation of the pipe was meant to remedy issues like water shortages, low water pressure and to provide reliable infrastructure.
“Ideally we would have wanted to install a plastic pipe.
“But unfortunately they don’t make plastic pipes as big as the one we need,” Mashigo said.
Residents are urged to store sufficient water for household purposes.
The water interruption is a bittersweet situation for businesses in the affected areas.
A car wash owner in Silvertondale said he would be extremely affected by the two-day water interruption.
“This means I will be out of business and lose two days’ worth of revenue - that means no food on the table for me,” he said.
He said it was also unfortunate the city has not arranged water tankers to supply water as an interim measure until water supply is restored.
Meanwhile, businessman Roland Potgieter who sells purified water at Lynnwood Ridge, said the city’s water interruption means his business will be booming.
Since last week there has been an increase in water purchases, he said.
“People have been buying 5-litre water bottles in abundance.
“Business has been good since last week and I expect it to be better from Monday.”
Malls in the vicinity have also made arrangements with water tankers to assist with the flushing of toilets.
Mashigo said a contractor had previously been sourced to fix the pipe system but was unable to deliver.
The following areas in and around the city would be affected: La Montagne, Die Wilgers, Murrayfield, Mamelodi, Silverton, Garsfontein, Ashlea Gardens, Samcor Park, Silverton, Silvertondale, Villieria, Jan Niemandpark, Waltloo, East Lynne, Rietfontein, Val de Grace, Kilnerpark, Meyerspark, Equestria, Lynnwood Glen, Lynnwood, Lynnwood Park, Faerie Glen, CSIR, Waverley, Eersterus, Queenswood, Brummeria, Constantia Park, Newlands, Ekklesia, Waterkloof Glen, Moreletapark, Alphenpark, Menlyn and Lynnwood Ridge.
Pretoria News