Municipal officials are hopeful that the water supply to the eastern areas of Grahamstown will normalise by the end of today, as the James Kleynhans pump station returns to its normal capacity.
Municipal officials are hopeful that the water supply to the eastern areas of Grahamstown will normalise by the end of today, as the James Kleynhans pump station returns to its normal capacity.
Makana Municipality confirmed this morning Wednesday 6 July that the facility once again has two pumps running.
Yesterday morning the pump station was switched off so that two valves from the faulty pumps could be refurbished and engineered into one to be fitted to the second pump.
The faulty valve is custom made and since Friday 1 July, teams from the Office of the Premier, the Department of Water and Sanitation as well as Amatola Water, which manages the municipality’s bulk supply, had been trying to source a replacement.
Both pumps at James Kleynhans have been running at 145 litres per second since 6pm yesterday.
The Bothas Hill reservoir is at 80% and will remain opened until 10am today. This means residents in parts of Grahamstown East will receive water until then.
This will then be shut off temporarily to allow the Tantyi and Mayfield reservoirs to fill up, These supply water to residents of Tantyi and Mayfield, as well as upper Joza and Hlalani.
"We are monitoring and managing the system and we anticipate that by the end of today or tomorrow the situation will normalise," an update at 8.30am from Makana Municipality's Communications Manager said.
WHO IS AFFECTED AND WHY?
Grahamstown has two water systems. The east is supplied by water from the Orange River via Glen Melville Dam north-east of Grahamstown. The James Kleynhans water treatment works carries water from there to Botha’s Ridge, Tantyi and Mayfield reservoirs.
Tantyi and Mayfield reservoirs serve Tantyi, Mayfield, upper Joza and Hlalani. Botha’s Ridge serves the other eastern areas of Grahamstown.
All these areas have been directly affected by the problems at James Kleynhans.
The west of Grahamstown is supplied by local dams feeding into the Howieson’s Poort pump station. Water from there and other local sources is processed at the Waainek water treatment works, west of Grahamstown.
These areas have also been affected by the problems at James Kleynhans.
There are high-lying areas on the west of Grahamstown that are still at times without water because of the low level of the intermediate reservoir at Waainek that feeds them..
Usually when the western reservoirs get low, water can be released from the James Kleynhans (east) system into them.
Because of the incident at the eastern pump station on Sunday 26 June, that has not been possible.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO RECOVER THE SITUATION?
Extra water tankers have been brought into Grahamstown. There are now 10 delivering water to residents in Grahamstown east as well as parts of Grahamstown West that are also without water.
The acting municipal management put emergency protocols in place on Sunday 26 June to secure the assistance of provincial and national government departments and partner organisations.
Water restrictions are already in place due to the drought.
HOW DID THE CURRENT SITUATION OCCUR?
On Sunday 26 June the pump station at James Kleynhans water treatment works was completely flooded.
It took three days to restore the pump station to 60 percent of its normal capacity.
The town's overall recovery plan was slowed by a power outage in the early hours of Tuesday 28 June when the Waainek area west of Grahamstown experienced an electricity outage, affecting the pump station which feeds the western reservoirs.
The reservoirs took longer than expected to refill and it took 24 hours to resume the supply to some parts of Grahamstown West..
With regard to the incident at the James Kleynhans pump station, acting municipal manager Riana Meiring said on Monday 27 June that the necessary disciplinary action had been taken with respect to the relevant officials.
WATER TRUCK DELIVERY POINTS IN GRAHAMSTOWN EAST
Water Delivery Trucks Schedule
Ward 2 Points
• Sithembiso
• Joza Street (Magopiyane/Street light)
• Nompondo (Danger station and Orphanage Tank and Dlepu Stadium Tank)
• Bluetooth tavern
• Ezibokweni
• Bra Pat (Street light)
Ward 3 and 4 Points
• Suncity (Dickerson Street)
• Scott's Farm (Aiken Street)
• Hooggenoeg (Tent area)
• Vergenoeg (Valley Road)
• Phaphamani
• Zolani
Ward 5 Points
• Extension 9 hall
• Crèche in Extension 8 main street
• Somi street
• Extension 10 from Hooggenoeg side and uPhahla side
• Transit camp (Taxi route Second shop)
Ward 6 and 11
• PA, Police station area
• Melisizwe
• Clinic
• KwaNodeki
• Ethembeni
• Emthathi Project
• Extension 4 kwaLuphuwana
• Extension 5 Sandi area and Miya shop
Ward 8 and 10
• A street
• KwaMandisa (fill tank)
• Mazizini
• Wisile School
• BB Zondani
• J-Street
• Xolani at O Street, Muza
• Tantyi Hall
• KwaKhaya
• Kwaphoyi
Ward 13
• Emqokolweni
• Rev Lolwana open space
• Emabhaceni
Ward 7 and 9
• Eluxolweni (fill tank)
• K street
• Middle of Hlalani and church
• Then go down to eFutheni side
FOR FURTHER UPDATES
Grocott’s Mail Online Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/grocotts/
Listen:
Tune into Radio Grahamstown at 102.1 FM or Rhodes Music Radio 89.7 FM
Call:
Engineers Department 046 603 6063 (office hours)
Customer Care 046 603 6134 (office hours)
Fire Department 046 622 4444 (after-hours emergency only)
