With Eskom’s recent changes to stage 6 load shedding, the ability of all businesses to operate has been compromised. Periods of interruption of 4.5 hours and a total of 12 hours per day has added more logistical stress to Overstrand Municipality’s ability to provide communities with enough water. The sanitation infrastructure is also under increasing pressure during the long bouts of load-shedding.
Residents are requested to use water sparingly, as this will assist in firstly conserving reservoir levels and secondly reducing wastewater flows and pressure on sewerage pump stations. Unfortunately, not all installations are equipped with generators at this stage.
Overstrand Municipality is doing its utmost to manage the situation within its capacity and available resources.
Residents of some high lying areas may experience low water pressure and even water supply interruptions as a result of extended load shedding events, where reservoirs can not be filled adequately during periods between load shedding, or where booster pump systems are out of operation during load shedding events.
Some sewerage pump stations which are not equipped with generators may spill during extended periods of load shedding. Warning signs will be erected when necessary.
This is the most critical mitigation measures that the Municipality has in place:
- Most of the critical water and wastewater installations are equipped with standby generators, which are supplied with diesel continuously and are being monitored to ensure seamless switchovers as far as possible.
- Mobile generators are deployed at a few other sensitive water and wastewater installations.
- Suction tankers are deployed at some sewerage pump stations in environmentally sensitive areas that are not equipped with generators yet.
- Water and wastewater pump operations are maximised during periods between load shedding events.
