18 July 2023 – 12:45
Media Statement
Recovery of Johannesburg Water systems stand at 90% – more progress anticipated
Johannesburg Water’s operations team has confirmed that the entity’s systems are recovering well four days post the planned Rand Water shutdown. This is within the projected recovery period of between five to 14 days.
Considering that this has been the largest shutdown the entity has experienced – where almost 80% of the systems were affected – the progress made thus far is noteworthy. Although not all the systems have fully recovered, specifically the Randburg, Soweto and Johannesburg Central areas, the overall recovery has been good.
Johannesburg Water teams continue prioritising flushing the network to get rid of airlocks in areas that are still struggling with low pressure to no water.
The infrastructure below advises of improving recovery:
Soweto
Overall, the Soweto region has seen a 90% recovery of its systems. The Orlando reservoir levels have recovered and are sitting at 50% this morning, while the Meadowlands, Jabulani, and Braamfischer reservoirs have appreciated over 70%. There are a few areas which are still impacted, however alternative water supply is being provided to affected communities as systems gradually normalise.
Commando system (Brixton, Hursthill and Crosby)
The Crosby reservoir is still in recovery mode, with one pump operating into the Brixton system. The Brixton reservoir is at 50% capacity and the outlet is open at 100%, while the tower is operating normally. The Hursthill system is experiencing slow recovery and currently, levels are critically low; therefore, customers supplied by the Hursthill reservoir zones will experience poor pressure to no water during peak periods.
Johannesburg Central
The Crown Gardens reservoir is stable and is supplying normally, with the outlet opened at 100%. The towers are also stable and operating normally.
Berea reservoir is currently at 10% after the morning peak, but will continue to improve during off-peak hours, especially overnight as most systems recover during that period. Parktown 2 reservoir has also seen improvement from Monday and has a steady capacity of 50%.
The overall recovery of the Yeoville complex is at 65%. Customers in the Yeoville pump station zone may experience poor pressure or no water due to technical challenges at the pump station.
Randburg/Roodepoort
The recovery of the greater Roodepoort area is now over 90%, with most systems fully operational and supplying normally. However, there are some high-lying areas with poor pressure or intermittent supply as some of the systems are recovering.
About 80% of the Randburg systems have recovered, with some areas still experiencing poor pressure to no water. The Linden 1 reservoir and tower remain critically low and customers in this supply zone will continue experiencing low pressure to no water. The Blairgowrie reservoir has improved overnight and is currently at 50%. Alternative water supply is being provided to customers in the affected areas of Linden, Bordeaux and Blairgowrie.
*Please note that water in the system fluctuates throughout the day as reservoir and tower levels respond to demand patterns according to peak and off-peak periods. Water demand is at its highest during peak, lowest during off peak, and minimum during night flows).
Ends
Issued by: Johannesburg Water Communication and Marketing.