276 05-12-14 Water flowing again in Tshwane as supply is restored to most areas affected by the recent outage. Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla
Water supply to residents of Tshwane has been restored to the majority of areas affected by a five-day outage caused by maintenance work on Rand Water's Mapleton system.
The City of Tshwane confirmed that most regions previously experiencing dry taps were now receiving water, following significant efforts to address the disruption.
The maintenance, which began on July 26 and concluded on July 29, led to widespread water shortages across Tshwane.
Areas such as Mamelodi, Olympus, Mooikloof Ridge, Die Wilgers, and Lynnwood, among others, have had their water supply restored.
Residents in Eersterust, Brummeria, Menlyn, Valleria, and parts of Faerie Glen, Wapadrand, Kilner Park, and Nellmapius are also seeing water flow from their taps.
Eastlynne, Silver Lakes, and surrounding areas have been reconnected as well.
Pumping operations at the Elardus Park reservoir, which services Constantia Park, Garsfontein, Moreleta Park, and nearby locations, resumed on Tuesday.
The City anticipates that water distribution will normalise in these areas once the reservoir reaches adequate levels.
The City of Tshwane had been working to mitigate the impact of the outage, which saw no water pumped to the Mapleton system during the maintenance period. In response, water tankers were dispatched to affected regions to provide interim relief.
Tshwane relies heavily on Rand Water’s Mapleton and Palmiet systems, which supply 79% of the city’s bulk water.
The process of replenishing Rand Water’s reservoirs before distributing water to municipalities can take up to two weeks, though this does not guarantee immediate restoration of supply.
Some areas, particularly those served by the Palmiet system, such as Atteridgeville and Kalafong Hospital, are still without water.
The City continues to deploy water tankers to these regions, coordinated through local ward councillors.
The City is pleading with residents in low-lying areas to use water sparingly when the supply is restored, to allow the bulk water system and reservoirs to recover quickly.
“The city apologises for the inconvenience caused by this planned water supply interruption,” a spokesperson said.
IOL News
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