Parys went dark on Tuesday evening after an explosion at an Eskom substation. Municipal spokesperson, Steve Naale, says the technical teams from both Eskom and Ngwathe are still busy with the installation of the technical equipment that was damaged in the fire on Tuesday night. 

It is expected all will return to normal by the end of today. Water supply, however, remains hindered for now. The infrastructure that is responsible for the distribution of domestic water in the area is powered by electricity, and without it, water supply is hindered. Naale says water tankers will remain in place as a result.

The technical teams from both the municipality and Eskom were on site following the incident on Tuesday night, but were unable to ascertain the exact damage done and the repair work required due to the blaze and smoke emanating from the substation at the time. 

The municipality thanks residents for their patience during this time. It is yet to be determined what time the explosion occurred, or what the cause was.  

Parys has long had issues pertaining to water supply. As a result, Ngwathe roped in Sedibeng Water to intensify efforts to sort out the issues at the Parys water treatment plant. Parys is the lesser known casualty of the Vaal River crisis. 

The town is located downstream, where pollution is likely to gather. Save the Vaal previously told OFM News that the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng - seen as the main offender in the crisis - receives their domestic water from the Vaal Dam which then undergoes extensive treatment by Rand Water. 

Ngwathe, specifically Parys, receives their domestic water from the polluted river. And, due to the challenges at the treatment plant, the municipality struggles to purify the water to the required standards.

OFM News