Latest news with #B16
The Citizen
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Cartoon of the day: 4 June 2025
If the water maintenance is complete, where is the water? While Rand Water has completed the first phase of its large-scale maintenance project, some residents in Gauteng continue to struggle with water supply issues. Since Thursday, 29 May, the utility has been conducting multiple concurrent maintenance operations to clean and repair its existing infrastructure. The water utility announced the completion of the B16 project on Monday morning, easing the suffering of thousands of residents who had been experiencing water shortages for several days. 'We're pleased to share that all work on the B16 project is complete, and pumping at Mapleton has officially started,' Rand Water said. While the project is complete, the water supply was not restored immediately across all affected areas. Rand Water explained that the distribution system requires time to rebuild pressure and capacity before normal supply can resume. What affects supply? It provided no timeline for full restoration but said it may vary significantly based on where you stay. Low-lying areas are expected to get water supply first, while residents in high-lying areas will likely wait longer before their taps flow normally again. 'Recovery depends on overall demand, so if your supply is back, please use water sparingly to help the system stabilise,' the utility added. Johannesburg Water previously cautioned that the recovery process could take as long as two weeks. 'After each maintenance has been completed, it will take a maximum of 14 days for the system to fully recover, and for normal water supply to return,' Johannesburg Water stated in earlier communications with residents. ALSO READ: Rand Water completes maintenance, but municipal failures may leave taps dry Second phase The second phase of maintenance started on Tuesday and is set to affect the following areas: Sandton Systems, Alexander Park Reservoir, South Hills Tower, Randjieslaagte Reservoir, Linksfield Reservoir, and Midrand Systems. The overall maintenance project is expected to continue well into July. NOW READ: Here's where to find water tankers in your area
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Rand Water completes maintenance, but municipal failures may leave taps dry
Water supply has resumed after the Rand Water project, but local infrastructure woes mean many residents still face shortages. Residents can expect water supply to return after Rand Water completed major maintenance ahead of schedule. Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo confirmed the utility completed the maintenance to key infrastructures that started last week, but warned the water supply issues from the municipality to consumer would remain the same. 'Work on the B16 project is complete and pumping at Mapleton has officially started' – but the water supply doesn't return instantly as the system needs time to build capacity, Maroo said. Water shortages affected parts of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Midvaal municipality, Emfuleni municipality, Govan Mbeki municipality, Victor Khanye municipality and Thembisile Hani municipality. Municipalities called to maintain infrastructure Water CAN's Ferrial Adam said maintenance the past weekend would help in terms of bulk supply from Rand Water, but not from municipality to the consumer. 'What needs to happen is that similarly at the municipal level, all municipalities need to fund their infrastructure better and do maintenance,' Adam said. 'Rand Water supplies four municipalities. I don't think any of the municipalities are doing it well. Joburg is the melting pot at the moment. ALSO READ: Big update on Rand Water maintenance outages 'The maintenance is not drastically different from what we are experiencing in Johannesburg.' Residents were still going to get intermittent supply and water cuts, as well as leaks, Adam said. 'We still have very high non-revenue water through leaks until the City of Joburg get serious and decides to fund this.' 'Water systems falling apart' Adam asked why the city presented good turnaround strategies, knowing they didn't have the funds. 'From the strategy, you can see they know where the problems are, but it seems they don't get that they need to fix the infrastructure. 'You cannot go around shouting economic development when your water systems are falling apart, your electricity systems are falling apart and your roads are falling apart. 'They need to focus on those issues and fix those before everything else,' Adam said. 'They knew they had 42 leaking reservoirs. They say they have identified the key 20 but they are getting nowhere. Not one tender has been issued, while residents have to accept the situation,' she said. Consumers blamed AfriForum's advisor in environmental affairs Marais de Vaal said the metros concerned should refrain from using residents as scapegoats. ALSO READ: Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance They should start dealing with the real issues – outdated infrastructure that is not properly maintained, gross mismanagement of the resources and serious water losses, driven by illegal connections and leaks. 'AfriForum is raising the alarm over the misleading narrative pushed by government entities regarding the escalating water crisis in Gauteng,' De Vaal said. 'The parliamentary portfolio committee on water and sanitation last month again made an appeal for residents to use water sparingly and urgently reduce consumption to global norms. 'AfriForum argues that these ongoing appeals are based on the misinterpretation of data, which unfairly and solely place the blame on consumers. 'They are all the while diverting attention from Gauteng's metropolitan municipalities' [Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane] mismanagement of the resource,' De Vaal said. Detailed records of metros AfriForum earlier this year submitted formal applications in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to all three metros to obtain access to detailed records on water usage over the past five years – from July 2019 to June last year. 'Only the Tshwane municipality provided information in this regard. The failure of the other two municipalities to make this important information available raises serious concerns about their commitment to transparency and their ability to address the crisis,' De Vaal said. NOW READ: Here's how many millions SA sends to Lesotho each month for water
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Big update on Rand water maintenance outages
Demand management will play a crucial role in the recovery process, according to Rand Water officials. Rand Water has successfully completed its critical B16 maintenance project and resumed pumping operations at Mapleton, marking a milestone in the utility's major infrastructure programme that has affected water supply across Gauteng since late May. The water utility announced the completion of the B16 project on Monday morning, bringing relief to thousands of residents who have endured water shortages for several days. 'We're pleased to share that all work on the B16 project is complete, and pumping at Mapleton has officially started!' Rand Water stated on its social media platforms. Rand water maintenance gradual recovery process expected Despite the completion of maintenance work, the restoration of the water supply will not be immediate across all affected areas. Rand Water emphasised that the distribution system requires time to rebuild pressure and capacity before normal supply can resume. The utility explained that recovery patterns will vary significantly based on geographical elevation. It stated that low-lying areas are expected to see water supply return first, while residents in high-lying areas will likely experience longer wait times before their taps flow normally again. Demand management will play a crucial role in the recovery process, according to Rand Water officials. 'Recovery depends on overall demand, so if your supply is back, please use water sparingly to help the system stabilise,' the utility advised residents. ALSO READ: Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance Extended recovery timeline Both Rand Water and Johannesburg Water have prepared residents for a potentially lengthy restoration period. Johannesburg Water previously cautioned that the recovery process would extend well beyond the completion of maintenance activities. 'After each maintenance has been completed, it will take a maximum of 14 days for the system to fully recover, and for normal water supply to return,' Johannesburg Water stated in earlier communications with residents. ALSO READ: Gauteng water outage: Here's how long it could take water to be restored after maintenance Ongoing maintenance programme The B16 project forms part of Rand Water's broader maintenance programme that commenced on Thursday, 29 May. The utility has been running multiple maintenance operations concurrently to address critical infrastructure needs across the water supply network. Rand Water has not yet provided specific timelines for when different areas can expect full water supply restoration following the completion of the B16 project. The utility continues to monitor system performance as pressure builds throughout the distribution network. The water supplier concluded its latest update with appreciation for public cooperation during the challenging period. NOW READ: Tshwane's water warning to residents
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance
Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. It is unclear when water will return to the thousands of households across Gauteng affected by Rand Water's 107-hour planned maintenance. Parts of the City of Tshwane, City of Ekurhuleni, Midvaal Local Municipality, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Victor Khanye Local Municipality, and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality were without water by day two of the four-day planned maintenance yesterday. Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said Rand Water reported that progress on the B16 project had been steady throughout the night and remained on track for completion as scheduled. 'Necessary interventions' Joburg Water warned residents that it would put in necessary interventions, including closing outlets. An alternate water supply had been arranged to assist with the recovery and restoration process. 'While many of the reservoirs had fair supply and capacity with poor pressure due to high demand, the Doornkop Reservoir was constrained and the outlet was closed due to poor pressure and no water.' ALSO READ: Tshwane's water warning to residents Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. 'The system improved and supplied throughout the day, but is declining. Joburg Water is putting in the necessary intervention, including closing outlets overnight to build capacity.' Joburg Water also indicated that the Orange Farm Reservoir, Ennerdale Reservoir, Lawley Reservoir, Lenasia Hospital Hill and Lenasia High Level were at fair capacity. WaterCAN's Ferrial Adam said: 'The Alexander reservoir that feeds Kensington and Bruma was not pumping at the right pressure and they had to sort it out, which meant that area didn't have water. 'There were other low reservoirs linked to the Rand Water pipe burst that happened about two to three weeks ago,' Adam said. ALSO READ: 21-day water outage in Joburg set to begin Friday In Tshwane in most areas expected to be affected, taps ran dry with residents taking to social media for updates on where to collect water. Equestria, Faerie Glen, Eastlynn and Waterkloof reported dry taps, while residents in Moreleta had water. Water outage warning City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba last week warned residents of Region 6 and some parts of Regions 2 and 3 to urgently reduce water consumption as the levels of the reservoirs supplying these areas were dropping significantly. ALSO READ: Municipal water crisis 'nothing to do with bulk water supply', says minster at LHWP reopening Bokaba said continued high consumption was likely to put consumers at risk of having no water from today until the work was completed. 'The high volume of consumption is also putting the city's distribution network and Rand Water systems under severe pressure,' he said. Bokaba reminded customers that the water utility would also isolate the Klipriviersberg Master Reservoir from the Palmiet system for 10 hours from tomorrow. 'This is to allow the water utility's technicians to clean and conduct an inspection on the reservoir. During this period, pumping will be reduced to 67% at the Palmiet station. 'The City of Tshwane apologises for the inconvenience as a result of the abovementioned maintenance work,' Bokaba added. NOW READ: Gauteng residents warned to brace for major water disruptions this week
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Good news: Relief as Mapleton pumping resumes
Water supply is slowly returning to parts of Pretoria after officials confirmed the completion of the B16 infrastructure project and the resumption of pumping operations at the Mapleton booster station. While relief is in sight for residents affected by a four-day outage, authorities have cautioned that the system requires time to stabilise, and full restoration will occur in phases. Rand Water announced on Monday morning that the has been completed and that pumping at Mapleton has commenced. 'Water supply is not restored immediately following the completion of maintenance as the system needs to build capacity.' It furthermore said low-lying areas recover first, while high-lying areas generally take longer. 'Recovery is influenced by demand, so we urge residents whose water supply has been restored to use water sparingly as supply resumes. 'Thank you for your patience and cooperation as the system recovers.' A water outage lasting over four days affected large parts of the city due to planned maintenance on the city's water infrastructure. Residents had been advised to store water and take necessary precautions ahead of time. From 29 May to 2 June 2025, numerous areas across Pretoria were left without water. The Tshwane Metro had urged residents to prepare in advance for the disruption. According to the Tshwane Metro, Rand Water carried out maintenance work on its Mapleton and Palmiet systems, which supply water to Tshwane. The major maintenance work took four and a half days to complete, running from Thursday, May 29, to June 2, 2025. According to the statement, the water utility had forewarned Tshwane that there would be no pumping from its system for the duration of the work. Also read: Pretoria crime stats: Everything you need to know Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
