15 days of water outages hitting Gauteng next week – these areas will be affected
Rand Water has alerted municipalities in Gauteng that the next and final phase of its maintenance project will commence on 15 July 2024.
The extensive infrastructure maintenance programme has been running since 22 June, with the first phase ending on 30 June and the second phase running from 1 July to 13 July.
The third phase starts on Monday, July 15, and runs until the end of the month.
The water utility completed maintenance work at the Zwartkopjes Pump Station at the end of June, and the maintenance work at the Eikenhof station should be completed by the weekend.
The final phase of the project will focus on the Palmiet and Mapleton stations, which will experience outages and reduced pressure between 15 and 29 July.
Palmiet System (15 July to 29 July)
- On 15 July 2024, Palmiet will be pumping at 68% for 50 hours.
- On 29 July 2024, the system will be pumping at 76% for 40 hours.
Mapleton System (19 July to 29 July)
- On 19 July, pumping will not be affected. Only two meters in the City of Ekurhuleni and three meters
in City of Tshwane will be affected for 39 hours. - On 26 July 2024, there will be no pumping for 77 hours.
The major metros in Gauteng have been aware of the maintenance for months ahead of the programme and have been keeping residents up to date with the days and times they will be affected.
Residents have been urged to keep an eye on their municipalities’ respective social media and news channels for information on the various measures that have been put in place.
The tables below outline which areas will be impacted by work being done in the final phase.
Joburg
| Date | Time | Suburbs Affected |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July – 29 July | Palmiet System 68% (15 July, 50 hours) 76% (29 July, 40 hours) | Westfield Westlake View (All ext.) Greenstone Park (All ext.) Greenstone Hill (All ext.) Longmeadow Business Estate (All ext.) Founders Hill Modderfontein Ext. 2 |
Ekurhuleni (a detailed breakdown of extensions and specifics can be found here)
The city warned residents in Thembisa, Kempton Park, Germiston, Alberton, Katlehong, Bedfordview, Edenvale and Boksburg that they may experience water supply interruption.
| Date | Time | Suburbs Affected |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July – 17 July | 50 hours | Germiston Boksburg Alberton Katlehong Vosloorus Bedfordview Edenvale Thembisa Kempton Park |
| 19 July – 20 July | 39 hours | Boksburg |
| 22 July – 26 July | 77 hours | Brakpan Springs Benoni Daveyton Etwatwa Vosloorus Nigel Tsakani Duduza |
| 29 July – 30 July | 40 hours | Germiston Boksburg Alberton Katlehong Vosloorus Bedfordview Edenvale Thembisa Kempton Park |
Tshwane
The City of Tshwane said its reservoirs would be impacted by both the Palmiet and Mapleton maintenance.
This means that suburbs in the city can expect to be impacted by the Palmiet outages on 15 and 29 July, as well as the durations listed above in terms of the Mapleton outages between 15 and 29 July.
The full list of impacted reservoirs and suburbs is extensive, and can be found here.
During the maintenance period, households, businesses and residents have been urged to avoid using water unnecessarily and to observe the following conservation measures:
- Do not water or irrigate gardens with hosepipes or sprinkler systems between 06h00 and 18h00.
- Do not wash vehicles with hosepipes.
- Do not fill swimming pools.
- Install a low-flow shower head and tap aerators where possible.
- Use a dual-flush toilet cistern.
- Plant indigenous or drought-resistant shrubs in the garden.
- Use a broom instead of a hosepipe when cleaning driveways or patios.
- Collect rainwater to reuse in the garden or wash the car.
- Cover the swimming pool to reduce water evaporation.
- Take a short shower rather than a bath.
- Close a running tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Regularly check toilets and taps for leaks.
Read: Massive 6-month shutdown of critical water supply for South Africa – the worst-case scenario
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