Central SA
Kimberley taps to be dry for days─── TSHEHLA KOTELI 05:48 Thu, 06 Oct 2022
Residents of the Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley in the Northern Cape will be without water from Thursday 6 October to Monday 10 October 2022, due to the repair of leaks, which have a huge impact on water losses.
The municipality released a notice to inform the community of a planned temporary water interruption to repair leaks at the Riverton Water Purification Works.
The refilling of the pipeline is expected to start by 22:00 on Sunday 9 October and if all goes well, water supply should be fully restored by Monday 10 October 2022.
The municipality's spokesperson, Thoko Riet, says during the days when the town will be left without water, roaming trucks and water tankers will drive through the wards to ensure all residents have access to water. Residents are urged to have their buckets or containers ready.
Water tanks will also be placed near police stations, the Newton reservoir, the Sol Plaatje Civic Centre and the Fire Station.
The expected schedule and timeframe are as follows:
• Thursday 6 October 2022, at 18:00: Switching off of pumps at Riverton and Newton reservoir and draining of the waterline (12 to 18 hours);
• Friday 7 October to Sunday 9 October 2022: Begin and continue with repair works at various sites (24 to 30 hours);
• Sunday 9 October 2022, at 18:00: Finish repairs and recommission Riverton pumps and pipelines (2 to 4 hours);
• Sunday 9 October 2022, at 22:00: Begin replenishing the line (6 to 8 hours).
ALSO READ: UPDATE | Kimberley water trickles back
The municipality is no stranger to not having water. Early in September 2022, residents were left without water following a water pipeline burst.
Riet explained that in this situation, the damaged piece of the pipeline had to be cut off, and as a result, the water flow was stopped for the duration of the repair.
At the time, the municipality had to implement a nightly shutdown in order to raise the water levels at the Newton reservoir.
ALSO READ: Sol Plaatje residents should prepare for water flow interruption
The Sol Plaatje Municipality embarked on planned water cuts in mid-July 2022, but this time, it was due to Eskom. The notice stated that due to Eskom's planned maintenance, it will be unable to pump water from the Riverton pump station to the Newton reservoir for 12 hours, or until Eskom has completed its work and given the municipality the go-ahead.
