Joburg residents in higher areas to experience water outage longer than 58 hours

11 July 2023 - 07:56
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While many areas in Johannesburg will be affected by the 58-hour water shutdown, residents in higher lying areas will experience the outage for a longer period as the network gradually recovers.
While many areas in Johannesburg will be affected by the 58-hour water shutdown, residents in higher lying areas will experience the outage for a longer period as the network gradually recovers.
Image: 123RF/maridav

While many areas in Johannesburg will be affected by the 58-hour water shutdown, residents in higher lying areas will experience the outage for a longer period as the network gradually recovers.

The planned shutdown will affect more than 220 suburbs and is scheduled to start at 7pm on Tuesday until 5am on Friday. 

The purpose of the shutdown is to replace or upgrade old critical infrastructure and reduce unplanned infrastructure breakdowns.

Johannesburg Water said Rand Water will conduct planned work at the Vereeniging water treatment plant, Eikenhof booster pumping station, Zuikerbosch water treatment plant and Zwartkopjes system.

Pumping of water will be reduced in the Daleside, Zwartkopjes and Eikenhof booster stations. 

“Customers in higher lying areas will experience the outage for a longer period as the network gradually recovers,” said Johannesburg Water.

“Planned work starting from 7pm will result in reduced supply to the Rand Water Daleside booster station. Water supply will be reduced by 50% for a period of eight hours. It is estimated once the work is completed, full recovery of water supply will take an additional 24 hours.”

Johannesburg Water said water supply at Zwartkopjes booster station will be reduced by 40% for a period of 24 hours and by 24% at Eikenhof booster station for 58 hours.

Roaming water tankers will be provided to the affected areas and alternative water supply will be arranged at hospitals, clinics, schools, municipal offices, police stations, and shopping centres.

“It is estimated that full recovery of the systems may take about five days or longer after the supply has been fully restored,” Johannesburg Water said.

Areas not affected by the shutdown include most Sandton areas. A part of Sandton supplied from the Dunkeld reservoir will be affected. 

You can see some of the areas that will be affected (marked with a blue tap icon) on the map below. 

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