eThekwini Confirms 12 Hour Power Outage As Key Substation Undergoes Repairs

Parts of Westville and neighbouring suburbs will go dark for up to 12 hours this Thursday as the eThekwini Municipality carries out critical maintenance at one of its major substations. The interruption is scheduled for 29 January from 8:00 to 20:00, and residents have been urged to plan ahead.

For Durban locals who have become used to sudden faults and infrastructure glitches, the city says this one is different: the power is going off on purpose to avoid bigger problems later.

Why This Maintenance Is Needed

According to the municipality, the work at the Blair Atholl Substation is part of a broader, ongoing push to stabilise the electricity grid and reduce unplanned outages. Technicians will be servicing 11kV circuit breakers and a section of the busbar, equipment that plays a vital role in safely distributing power.

City officials explained that the planned downtime allows crews to access key infrastructure without the risk of live electricity, making the work safer and more thorough.

Who Will Be Affected?

Around 15 percent of customers supplied by the Blair Atholl Substation are expected to be impacted. These include residents in:

Beverley Hills
Dawncliffe
Erin-Go-Bragh
Parts of Westville

However, not every street in these suburbs will necessarily lose supply.

In an effort to offer clearer guidance, the city says households that still have electricity by 8:30 can assume they will not be affected by the shutdown. The municipality says this should help families and business owners decide whether to put backup systems in place, especially during the long 12-hour window.

Safety First During The Outage

The municipality is calling on residents to treat all electrical installations as live throughout the maintenance period. Even if the lights are off, equipment could energise without warning once work is completed.

Residents are strongly cautioned against attempting any electrical repairs or touching power lines, as this poses significant danger.

Anyone needing more information has been asked to contact the City’s Contact Centre on 080 3111 111 instead of relying on forwarded messages or community rumours.

City Apologises For The Disruption

While the interruption is expected to be inconvenient, eThekwini says the goal is to prevent bigger, unexpected faults that could leave residents without power for longer periods.

In its notice, the municipality apologised for the disruption and emphasised that the planned work is intended to reduce future outages and improve overall grid reliability.

{Source:The South African}

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