A power failure at Rand Water’s purification works treatment plant in Vereeniging in the early hours of Monday has severely affected pumping capacity at the bulk supplier’s Eikenhof pump station. 

This took place over several hours, meaning that supply to several of Johannesburg Water’s systems is affected. These include the Commando system, which feeds the Brixton, Hursthill and Crosby reservoirs, Waterval, Quellerina, Eagles Nest and Crown Gardens.  

On top of this, Rand Water’s Meredale reservoirs and Johannesburg Water’s Waterval 2 reservoir were left empty. Pumping has been restored to 100% at the Eikenhof station, but the system is still batting to fill reservoirs.  

In Johannesburg South, the Crown Gardens reservoir has been opened to 50% capacity so that Johannesburg Water can sustain pumping into the tower to supply water. The Eagles Nest reservoir has been put on bypass so that excess water can be put into reticulation, to sustain supply.  

Joburg Water spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini said Rand Water has closed the inlet into the Weltevreden reservoir to push excess water into the Waterval reservoir, which will feed into the Quellerina and Waterval towers, as well as the Commando system.

Estimations by Monday afternoon were that the Quellerina and Waterval zones would have recovered by late evening, she said.  

The Commando system was most affected and the Joburg Water technical team was working around the clock to improve supply, but it was known that after such huge outages, full recovery could take up to five or seven days, if no other issues affect the system. 

Johannesburg Water was looking at interventions to improve the recovery of the Hursthill 1 system with a neighbouring reservoir system, Dhlamini said. In the meantime, alternative water supply to critical areas has been provided.  

Water tankers have been parked at: 

• Crosby – one stationary water tank at the Crosby clinic;
• Brixton – one stationary water tank at 1 Rus Road, and two at the Brixton Recreation Centre;
• Coronationville – one stationary water tank at the Coronation Recreation Centre, and another at the Slovo informal settlement;
• Westdene – one stationary water tank at the Engen garage; and
• Melville – one stationary water tank at the corner of First Avenue and Main Road, and another at the corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue.

Eight roaming water tankers can be found in: Robertsham, Westbury, Coronationville, Newclare, Jan Hofmeyer, Mayfair West, Crosby and Westdene. 

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