Loadshedding

Parts of Pretoria East left without water due to power failures

Published

11 months ago

May 15, 2023

Power failures led to Pretoria East residents having no water in certain parts of the area last week, leaving them frustrated and inconvenienced. According to IOL, the issue arose due to multiple power failures at the Mapleton booster pumping station, resulting in a drop in water levels at a Rand Water reservoir.

Gladys van Deventer, an East Lynne resident, expressed her frustration, stating that water was intermittently trickling out of her tap. She highlighted that in addition to the water problems, residents were also experiencing lengthy power outages.

“On top of load shedding, we also have to stomach not having water. It’s been days without water, while some of my neighbours do have. It does not make sense how some houses have water and I don’t. I have to get water from neighbors to cook,” she explained.

This issue of water scarcity is not new in Pretoria East. The Pretoria News reported that the Mamelodi East township residents had been relying on water tankers for months due to the lack of water supply. Sylvia Mojake, a Mamelodi resident, mentioned that they only had access to tap water for two days a week and had to collect buckets of water from relatives for the remaining days. This inconsistency often left her family without water, and they needed clarification about the cause of the problem.

Also read: Van Buuren Road residents frustrated by yet another water leak

Addressing the concerns, Utilities MMC Themba Fosi assured residents that the metro would urgently handle the water situation. He said the metro discussed the low water pressure issue with Rand Water. The municipality was actively monitoring the status.

Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink announced a five-day water tightness test from Friday to Wednesday to address the ongoing challenges in Pretoria East and surrounding areas. Mayor Brink appealed to residents to continue conserving water to allow reservoirs to replenish reserves and reach total capacity.

Apologising for the inconvenience caused, Mayor Brink assured residents that the City would persist in resolving the water shortages and challenges faced in Pretoria East. However, it is worth noting that residents experienced similar water shortages last month due to supply interruptions, further exacerbating the issue of water scarcity in the region.

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