Phase one of the maintenance programme began on Friday and is expected to continue until Tuesday, with phase two scheduled for July 17. Some areas in the Gauteng province, the country’s economic hub and most populous province, are experiencing little to no water supply while the maintenance work continues.

Muller warns that ageing and leaking infrastructure continue to place pressure on the province’s water system. Muller says such maintenance, whether it lasts 12 or 24 hours, should not significantly disrupt supply if municipalities have sufficient reservoir capacity to continue providing services while the system is temporarily shut down.

However, he notes that rapid population growth has added further strain to the system.

Meanwhile, the country’s administrative capital, City of Tshwane, says some areas are still experiencing low water pressure and intermittent supply despite the completion of phase one of Rand Water’s maintenance work. The metro says that while pumping has resumed at close to 90%, reservoirs, towers and bulk pipelines are still recovering and stabilising across the network.

The city’s Spokesperson, Selby Bokaba, says Region 1 remains the hardest hit, with residents in Mabopane, Winterveldt and parts of Soshanguve continuing to face water supply challenges. Bokaba is urging residents to use water sparingly as efforts to fully restore the system continue.

Bokaba notes that the restoration of pumping does not immediately translate into the restoration of water supply to all areas, as reservoirs, towers and pipelines require time to recover before normal distribution pressures can be fully restored across the network.

–SABC/ChannelAfrica–