The dummy shut-off done on Wednesday 26 October did not yield the desired results as the water was still passing through some critical control valves while in a closed position which did not allow for a complete shut-off. The water supply has to be shut-off completely to enable the maintenance team to conduct the repairs in a safe working environment.

This has now resulted in the additional areas of Pelican Park, Eagle Park, Peacock Close, Pelican Heights and Phumlani being included in the list of affected areas. This work will inform the Water and Sanitation maintenance team of the course of action to be taken to address the current serious leak on the 915mm diameter water main.

‘This dummy shutdown will assist the planning teams to assess the capability of the water supply network for rerouting of water supply in preparation for the actual shutdown, before making water tankers and standpipes available. This is a very important exercise as it provides an indication of the extent of the impact and what mitigation measures need to be implemented and what the possibilities are to maintain the water supply to these areas. It is no mean feat and our maintenance teams will be doing their best to minimise the impact in terms of areas and disruption timeframe,’ said Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.

Residents are kindly requested to store sufficient water upfront in clean sealed containers for domestic use during this period and to ensure that all taps are closed to prevent water loss and/or damage when the supply is restored.

The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused, but it must explore opportunities within its water supply infrastructure network to benefit its consumers.