A massive maintenance operation by water utility Rand Water is expected to leave parts of Gauteng in a water outage for about 87 hours from Friday to Tuesday.
Rand Water has scheduled a planned maintenance of its B6 pipeline from August 19 to 23 and the maintenance is for the newly constructed B6 pipeline, which has been constructed to supplement a portion of the existing B6 pipeline. The water utility said the tie-in is at the corner of Oak Street and Boundary Street, Garthdale in Meyerton.
Rand Water added that the execution of the project will start from 5pm on Friday, August 19 and be completed on Tuesday, August 23 at 8.30 am, meaning the project will be undertaken over 87,5 hours..
The areas under City of Tshwane that will be affected including Laudium, Mabopane, Soshanguve, the Akasia reservoir, Lotus garden, Bakenkop, the Blair Atholl reservoir, Sunderland Ridge, Erasmia, the Saulsville reservoir, the Wonderboom reservoir, the Louwlardia reservoir, Kosmosdal, the Rooihuiskraal reservoir and Klapperkop.
The City of Ekurhuleni areas that will be affected include Windsor, Sunny Ridge, Fishers Hill, Primrose extension, Glen Marais, Klopperpark, Marlands, Solheim, Elandsfontein, Isando, Industries, Wadeville, Elsburg, Driefontein, Delville and Germiston South.
The areas under the Joburg Water that will be affected include President Park, Halfway House, Klipfontein View, South Hills, Lynn Meyer, Diepsloot, Sandton, Alexandra and North Western areas.
Johannesburg Water (JW) further issued a statement that announced specific suburbs that will be affected by the maintenance according to the reservoir zones.
In the Alexandra Park reservoir zone, Kensington, Benrose, Heriotdale, De Wetshof, The Gardens, Malvern, Cleveland, Elcedes and Wychwood, will be affected.
In the South Hill Tower zone, Risana, Linmeyer, South Hills, Tulisa Park, Steeledale, The Hill, Oakdene, Rosettenville and Klipriviersberg Estate, will be affected.
Halfway House, Glen Austin, Grand Central and parts of Waterfall, will be affected from the Grand Central reservoir and Randjesfontein and Country View will be affected in the Corporate Park reservoir.
In the Rabie Ridge reservoir, Rabie Ridge, Mayibuye, Midrand Business Park, Commercia and Waterfall Complex will be affected and in the Errand reservoir, Errand South, Noordwyk, Vorna Valley, Kyalami, Waterfall and Halfway Garden will be affected.
Randjesfontein and Randjespark will be affected by the Randjesfontein Tower.
The water utility urged residents to be cautious of the false information reported causing panic.
“Water supply will only be reduced by 10% during the maintenance period,” JW said.
Rand Water spokesperson Judith Khoza said Rand Water issued a 21-days’ notice to the affected municipal customers; City of Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane, Johannesburg Water, and direct customers Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and South African Airways (SAA) to allow them to execute their appropriate contingency plans.
“Rand Water has advised the above listed local municipalities and direct customers to fill their reservoirs before the maintenance work commences. Palmiet Pumping Station will still be operational and pumping at 90% of its capacity,” Khoza added.
The Water utility urged all consumers to reduce water consumption and apologised for the inconvenience.