The Sol Plaatje Municipality (SPM) is calling on all residents to immediately begin storing water for essential purposes due to a leaking gasket at Mid-Station near Roodepan. This leak could worsen and force an unplanned water shutdown in addition to the already scheduled interruption set for April 4th to 8th, 2024.
The leak, originating from a faulty gasket on a large diameter valve, has been ongoing since mid-December 2023. The high water pressure has eroded the gasket, causing the leak to worsen.Residents are urged to conserve water by avoiding unnecessary uses such as filling swimming pools, washing cars with hoses, and watering gardens with sprinklers or hoses.
Stockpiling water will not only provide a reserve in case of an emergency shutdown but also help reduce the demand on the system during the planned outage.
The Municipality is confident that its current plan, funded by the National Treasury’s Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) grant, will address aging infrastructure and maintenance backlogs, ultimately ending the need for nightly water interruptions.
Furthermore, the recent inspection of major leak sites by the MEC for Roads and Public Works, Fufe Makatong, and her engineering team is seen as a positive step. Internal and external teams provided insights into the necessary repairs at each location.
An update regarding the planned water outage and the potential emergency shutdown will be issued to the public and media on Tuesday, March 26th, 2024, along with a media briefing.