Central SA
Metsimaholo Municipality embarks on planned 16-day water shutdown─── ZENANDE MPAME 15:45 Fri, 16 May 2025
Metsimaholo municipality will receive detailed points for water tankers ahead of the planned 16-day water shutdown.
Water in the surrounding Metsimaholo areas will be shut down from Friday, 30 May to Saturday, 14 June to allow Rand Water to conduct evaluations and cleaning operations of the Sasolburg Reservoir.
Affected areas include Sasolburg, Zamdela, Vaalpark, and surrounding areas. Metsimaholo is the second municipality that is embarking on the shutdown, following Emfuleni Municipality as the first, because of maintenance that needs to be done by RandWater.
In Emfuleni, a tender is out for extra water tankers for water points for residents. Preference will be given to clinics, hospitals, and schools, and thereafter, residential areas.
“The municipality is working closely with Rand Water to mitigate the effects of the shutdown and will provide alternative water supply measures to ensure the continued access to water where possible,” said Metsimaholo Municipality spokesperson Gino Alberts.
“Detailed schedules and points of water tankers will be communicated on the official platforms, people should be on the lookout for them.”
Maintenance can no longer be postponed
We understand the inconvenience this will cause and sincerely apologise for the disruption. Your patience and cooperation during this critical infrastructure operation are greatly appreciated, he said.
During the proposed 16-day shutdown, the reduced pressure of the A15 pipeline will result in water supply disruptions that will affect reservoir meters supplying the impacted areas.
The planned shutdown is due to maintenance projects that have been postponed for a long time because of their impact, but the municipality says it can no longer be postponed, as it is required to comply with regulatory safety standards.
Meanwhile, the DA in Metsimaholo has called for the municipal manager to fulfil their duties and provide basic service delivery to the people of Metsimaholo.
“Water leakages, sewer spillages, and electricity outages have been going on for days because the municipality lacks the tools to deal with these problems,” said Metsimaholo DA caucus leader Thulani Mbana.
“The lack of service delivery, tools of trade, and excessive use of external service providers, even though the municipality has employees who are paid to render these services, is unacceptable.”
