The Kimberley Prospector

Kimberley

[WATCH] Major Leak Identified on 900mm Bulk Line Continues to Disrupt Kimberley Water Supply

Editorial Staff

A major leak has been identified on the 900mm bulk water supply line from Riverton, located at Gogga Pump Station near Galeshewe. This leak is causing significant water loss and further disrupting the water supply to the Newton Reservoir.

Sol Plaatje Municipality is taking immediate action to address the situation. Repair work will necessitate shutting down sections of the pipeline to allow for draining and repairs. Updates on the situation and any potential service interruptions will be provided.

“This leak is the source of the throttling of supply to the Newton Reservoirs,” explained Sol Plaatje Municipal Manager Thapelo Matlala.

Matlala directly addressed the situation: “We are confronted with an unfortunate situation… we were experiencing glitches in terms of supplying water to Newton and now we have discovered a major leak on the 900.” He explained the cause of the leak, “…there was a lot of pressure which forced the chamber to fall on the pipe… and that has broken the pipe.”

Municipal crews are working with extreme urgency to isolate the leak and begin repairs. “A leak like this can take 12 to 14 hours of work… the guys will not be sleeping tonight,” stated the Municipal Manager. Draining the affected pipeline section is the first priority, followed by a full assessment of the damage.

Residents receiving water from Newton Reservoir can expect water service disruptions for several days. Homevale, Galeshewe and some suburbs remain unaffected as they are supplied by a different pipeline.

The Municipal Manager acknowledged the inconvenience: “It’s unfortunate. We never anticipated that we would have the chamber collapsing and breaking the pipe.” He emphasized the shutdown of the 900mm pipeline from Riverton until repairs are complete, “Effectively what this means is that we are going to switch off the 900 pipeline … and start working so the 900 will not be feeding any water to Newton up until we have completed this work here.”

The municipality has announced plans to distribute water via tanker trucks. However, residents remain sceptical, with many reporting that they did not receive promised water deliveries during the recently planned shutdown between 4 and 8 April.

This continued disruption, occurring just days after “successful” repairs, further increases community concerns.

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