Tshwane says Temba residents can expect water in a matter of days

People have been without water for about two weeks

Temba residents in Hammanskraal can expect water in the coming days as the Temba water treatment plant comes back online, says the City of Tshwane.

Temba residents have been without water for about two weeks.

Jeffrey Nyathikazi, who is the zonal secretary of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Hammanskraal, said residents had been struggling to get water out of their taps for two weeks. He said it had also been difficult to get water from tankers as there are not enough to supply the residents of all nine wards.

“We get rumours that some truck drivers are selling water instead of giving it for free. Schools, clinics, hospitals and other institutions are in a bad situation. Poor learners are not getting quality education because school knocks off early every day,” he said.

Nyathikazi said the challenge is that private tankers are charging more money and councillors are frustrated.

“District refers schools to the head office and time is flying for one learner's education. Emails take forever to get responses.

“Water and sanitation employees in region 2 are also cleaning out the water pipes to remove sediment and dirt and fix any problems to help keep clean water flowing smoothly. Two weeks back we were told that the Pyramid substation that exploded affected Rooiwaal and the water treatment plant. We are still asking ourselves when this water issue in Hammanskraal will end,” he said.

He said pupils are sent home at midday due to the water issue.

Nyathikazi said the city has committed to restoring water by Sunday.

Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya said the Temba area was without water because of a need to switch off the water treatment plant for the past 10 days.

“This was necessitated by the fire that gutted the Pyramid substation, which led to the Rooiwal waste water treatment plant discharging untreated sewage. When Pyramid was restored, we could not immediately switch on the Temba treatment plant,” she said.

Moya said the plant was now active.

“I am happy to report that there is some progress and the team will work day and night to treat the water. Running water should be delivered to residents in a couple of days.

“I must remind everyone that, while water will be available for general use, it is still not safe for consumption. We appreciate your patience during this challenging period. We will continue to provide updates on the progress as we work to restore full services,” she said.

The city's spokesperson, Selby Bokaba, said Tshwane’s team of scientists had noticed a slight improvement in the water quality of the Leeuwkraal Dam, which supplies the Temba water treatment works with raw water.

Bokaba said this improvement prompted technicians to start the water treatment process on Wednesday afternoon.

“The plant will be running at 36% capacity during circulation and will gradually be ramped up to full capacity when there is an improvement in the raw water quality,' Bokaba said.

He said the process of water distribution to consumers will start only when the plant is fully operational.

“This should take a few days from today, depending on the improvement of the quality of raw water from the Leeuwkraal Dam. In the meantime, the city will continue to provide roaming water tankers to residents until the situation normalises.

“Residents will be updated when there are new developments. The city apologises for the inconvenience that may have been caused as a result of this unplanned water supply interruption,” he said.

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