UPDATES – Kimberley Total Water Shutdown • 23-27 March 2018

KIMBERLEY MARCH 2018 WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATES

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 11:30
“We currently pumping from Newton Reservoir. The pumps have been primed and building enough pressure. Thanks” 
FROM SELLO MATSIE Spokesperson  Sol Plaatje Municipality

NOTE TUESDAY 27/03/2018 11:15 – All indications are that Newton Reservoir is not pumping yet.

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 11:05

“Pumps from Riverton running 100%. Difficult to predict the water usage on the line. Sol Plaatje hoping to put the Newton pumps on within the next hour – you should see water within 2 hours and pressure will steadily increase. Will keep updating.”
FROM JOHAN SMIT

NOTE TUESDAY 27/03/2018 10:20 – Below are updates released this morning but it is still unclear exactly what the current situation is.
We have also not seen any reports thus far of usable water pressure in areas serviced by Newton Reservoir.

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 10:00

“Jammer ek moes gisteraand stad verlaat weens sterfte in familie; is verwittig dat die pyp sisteem was dolleeg en neem langer as verwag om te vul; alle laag liggende gebiede het nou water maar hoër liggende sukkel nog ; ek skat nog enkele ure …”
FROM MR Goolam Akharwaray, The Sol Plaatje Municipal Manager

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 08:40
“I am told the network was completely empty so it’s taking longer to fill and build pressure; pumping is 100% from Riverton; pressure is building in low lying areas; it is important to first fill the network before opening Newton; the timing of that choice is an engineering decision which I leave to them.”
FROM: Mr Dhluwayo acting – Sol Plaatje Municipality.

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 07:15
“No serious leaks on work done. Water still being pumped to flood system. Newton Reservoir is being switched now, avoiding having had all the reserves at Newton Reservoir to supply the entire system and therefore deplete everything.”
FROM SELLO MATSIE Spokesperson  Sol Plaatje Municipality

UPDATE: TUESDAY 27 March 2018. 06:00
No water yet for areas serviced by Newton Reservoir.  At this time only areas receiving water straight out of the Riverton pipeline to Kimberley have reported water in their taps.
To check which areas are reporting water visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/KimberleyInfrastructure/permalink/2036961083227249/ 

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: MONDAY 26 March 2018. 21:00
“Work has been completed. Water Supply is being restored. Please be patient because it will take a bit of time to flood entire system. Thank you”
FROM: Sello Matsie  Spokesperson  Sol Plaatje Municipality

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: MONDAY 26 March 2018. 20:50

“Pumping starting; in about 3 hours lower lying areas will get water; higher areas by sunrise …or before”
FROM: The Municipal Manager.

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: MONDAY 26 March 2018. 20:40
“Die werk is afgehandel. Die proses om die 900 mm pyp vol water te kry vanaf Riverton gaan nou begin en daarna om die hele dorp se netwerk weer vol water te kry. Kom ons hou duime vas vir water by opstaantyd môreoggend.”
FROM: JOHAN SMIT

Johan also mentioned that he still thinks that water will be not be back in areas serviced by Newton Reservoir before sometime tomorrow”

 

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE:  26 March 2018. 19.45 – From Sello Matsie – Photos Only 

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WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE:  26 March 2018. 18.15

Update from Sol Plaatje Municipality below.  The message is not clear if tonight will be by midnight, or some time in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
When water will actually reach the taps of all residents remain to be seem. A big thank you to the men and woman on the ground who have been working hard.

Update from Sol Plaatje Municipality below.  

“The repairs at Mental health are being finalised and water supply will resume tonight. Thank you for the cooperation and apologies to the education sector, business community and broader society for the delay. Special thanks to the businesses that assisted and teams that worked during the entire 25 sites of this exercise. The inconvenience is highly regrettable but is part of our overall objective to improve the infrastructure.”
Sello Matsie Spokesperson Sol Plaatje Municipality

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Monday 26 March 2018 17:00

FROM: Johan Smit 26 Maart 17:00

“Kom nou net van die “site” af.
Daar sal definitief nie vanaand water wees nie en ek wil glo môreoggend is dalk ook te optimisties.
Ek wil glo dat water môre deur die voormiddag by huishoudings sal begin uitkom maar nog nie volle druk nie.
Enige verandering/ verbetering sal ‘n bonus wees.
Ek sal later vanaand weer ‘n update gee.”

[Johan Smit is a former councillor. He has excellent knowledge on the inner workings of Kimberley’s Water Infrastructure.]

 

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Monday 26 March 2018 12:15

The last hurdle being fixed. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Ons sal beslis die uitdaging oorkom vandag, wees asseblief geduldig.

For further enquiries kindly contact 0538306111.

Sello Matsie 
Spokesperson
Sol Plaatje Municipality

 

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Monday 26 March 2018 06:30

“The repairs at Mental health is the only challenge that is still holding us up to start pumping at this morning.
The specific problem, of the contractor is the installation of the replacement pipe that needs to be completed. Water has subsided to enable them to work.

Once this is sorted out, the supply can start. Riverton Purification plant is at the ready at 100%. They awaiting the green light to pump to the city which will take place once this problem is resolved today.
For further enquiries kindly contact 0538306111.
We regret the inconvenience.”
Sello Matsie Spokesperson Sol Plaatje Municipality

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Monday 26 March 2018 06:00
It’s Monday morning. No water in the taps and no update from Sol Plaatje at this time.

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Sunday 25 March 2018 21:15

“The Riverton Purification Plant has already started production some time ago.

The only remaining area of work is the Mental hospital site, where the replacement pipe being installed.

Once the mental hospital is completed, Riverton will pump into the city..followed by the Newton Reservoir to pump into high lying areas. As explained earlier, we encountered challenges.

Work will continue throughout the night. Some areas will start receiving water during this mention process. All things remaining constant, we should be back to normal tomorrow.

The jojos will be withdrawn gradually but remain in use in areas that might still be in need. For further enquiries kindly contact 0538306111. Thanks for the cooperation.” FROM Sello Matsie Spokesperson Sol Plaatje Municipality

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Sunday 25 March 2018 17:30

“The Riverton Purification plant upgrade is complete and have started the filtration process to produce water. Two sites on the main pipe line have been completed, while the Mental health site is proving to be a challenge with the contractor struggling to deal with the water situation, that has delayed the completion. The refill of jojos is also proving to be problematic as some have been deliberately damaged and some needs refill. We will do our best until the entire project is complete. We appreciate your cooperation and patience. further enquiries kindly contact 0538306111. We regret the inconvenience.”  Via Sello Matsie Spokesperson Sol Plaatje Municipality

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Sunday 25 March 2018 15:30

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE: As at Sunday 25 March 2018 08:00
From Sello Matsie

“Several areas are steadily progressing as scheduled..despite some delays. All the 16 internal reticulation valves were completed last night. The refill of jojos is still ongoing. For further enquiries kindly contact 0538306111. Thanks for the cooperation. Further updates will follow later.”
Via
Sello Matsie Spokesperson
Sol Plaatje Municipality

KIMBERLEY WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE 19:00 24/03/2018

Via Johan Smit
Repairs at the c/o Bultfontein & Lennox has been completed. The Bultfontein spa is no more.

For the second day work on the 900mm pypeline at the new mental hospital could not continue as water kept bubbling into the work area.

Work on the 900mm pipeline.

KIMBERLEY WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE 16:00 24/03/2018
Via Sello Matsie

“The major upgrade at Riverton continues with with no expected delays. Repairs at corner Bultfontein and Lennox is complete.

WATER SHUTDOWN UPDATE 15:30 Friday, 23/03/2018

All areas of the scheduled upgrades and repairs commenced as planned. The major upgrade at Riverton and repairs at corner Bultfontein and Lennox are progressing fairly well. The three repairs on the 965mm pipe between Riverton and Kimberley are also progressing well and water has subsided, providing space to work. Weather conditions not withstanding, we on track.There are secondary repairs within the neighbourhoods that are also being done. Hospitals and planned events like funerals and sports are being supplied with water. So far Jojo tanks are being distributed as wide as possible. For arrangements kindly contact 0538306111. Private companies are also assisting the public. Thanks for the cooperation

Sello Matsie
Spokesperson
Sol Plaatje Municipality

NextGEN gallery is not installed/inactive!

WHEN WILL THE WATER BE SWITCHED OFF?

Water will be switched off during the evening of Thursday, 22 March 2018 (tonight). This will allow water to drain from the system so work can commence on Friday Morning.
Currently no exact time of the switch off has been released.  After the switch off, low lying areas may still have fair water pressure for some time, while high lying areas will lose pressure very quickly.
Keep in mind that on a previous weekend long shutdown the water was switched off earlier than officially stated.

Thursday 22/03/2018 Schedule:
At 3pm: – Water Purification at Riverton stops.
3pm to 6pm:  Water will still be pumped from Riverton Reservoir to Newton Reservoir.
After 7pm:  Once the Riverton Reservoir is empty Riverton will stop pumping water to Newton Reservoir.  Newton Reservoir will be closed off and no more water will be pumped out to the city.
Friday 23 March 2018 Schedule:
At 7am: It is expected that water would have drained out of the system overnight and work will be started.

WHICH AREAS WILL BE AFFECTED?

The whole of Kimberley including Galeshewe, Roodepan and Platfontein will be affected.  Richie is the only area in the Sol Plaatje Municipal District which will not be affected.

SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 23 MARCH

The Northern Cape Department of Education issued a circular to all schools in Kimberley to be closed on Friday as the shutdown will impact hygiene and sanitation.

WHERE CAN YOU SOURCE WATER DURING THE WEEKEND?

Residents and organizations are urged to store as much water as possible beforehand.
During the shutdown approximately 80 water tanks will be deployed at keys points.  The public can fill containers at these points but will be limited to 10 litres at a time.
Mobile water tanks will also be deployed in certain areas.

WHEN WILL WATER BE RESTORED?

Work is expected to continue into Sunday evening.  The restoration is “expected” to start  at 12am Monday morning which should result in water in most taps early Monday.
Lower lying areas will have water in their taps much earlier than high lying areas.
NOTE: As seen in the past with similar previous work, various unforeseen problems may push water restoration to late Monday or even Tuesday or later. 

WHY IS A TOTAL SHUTDOWN NECESSARY?

Work at the new Riverton Pumping Station necessitates that pumping from the Vaal River be halted.

The shutdown will also be used to work on water connection infrastructure at the new psychiatric hospital, to do upgrades at the new Lerato Park extension, to fix the problem on the c/o Bultfontein and Lennox street, and to repair major leaks on the main pipeline line from Riverton close to 3 SAI army base and in the veld near Homelite.  Furthermore the old pipeline from Newton Reservoir to Bishops Avenue will be decommissioned and the new supply line via Birbeck Avenue (the university line) will be connected. Various smaller issues will also be attended to.
Apart from the Sol Plaatje Municipality Waterworks team, six private contractors are also involved with the installation, maintenance and repair projects.

PLEASE INCLUDE THIS LINK WHEN SHARING – https://www.kimberley.org.za/?p=18762

HOW TO PREPARE FOR WATER RESTORATION

 

WATER TANK LOCATIONS

KIMBERLEY WATER SHUTDOWN 23-25/03/2018 – WATER TANK LOCATIONS

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ORIGINAL NOTICES BELOW

Please note there will be a water supply shutdown from 23 March 2018 to 25 March 2018 affecting all areas in Kimberley.

This is due to the new Riverton Plant Station and the water will be totally shutdown in Kimberley between the 23rd & 25th of March 2018. Please make provision early so as to have enough water on that weekend. Arrangements are being made for water points and will be updated when info becomes available.

-Via Sharon Steyn, NOCCI. 

Good Morning all I have just been at a meeting regarding the shutdown of water in Kimberley. The date has been moved due to all activities next weekend.
The shutdown will be from the 23rd March to the 25th of March. This is due to the new Riverton Plant Station and the water will be totally shutdown in Kimberley. Arrangements are being made for water points. 
Once I have all the details I will keep you all updated regularly. PLEASE can all start now already to prepare for that weekend. 
This is the CORRECT info any other messages going around are NOT true

-Via Sello Matsie, Sol Plaatje Communications Manager

MAJOR WATER SUPPLY INTERRUPTION FOR THE CITY FRIDAY 23rd TILL 25th MARCH 2018
As part of our overall objective of improving the quality of water and the certainty of supply thereof to residents, certain further work has become necessary. Accordingly it is intended to interrupt water supply to residents from Friday morning 23 March 2018 until midnight Sunday 25 March 2018. The entire city and its surroundings will be affected by this, but excluding Ritchie. The Reservoirs are full to capacity but in order to do the work the network and lines need to be empty.

BACKGROUND
The municipality took a long term view to upgrade essential infrastructure in support of growth and development. In the water sector, to date, 5 new pumps that extract water from the river were installed, the purification works were upgraded, isolation valves were installed at Newton, 9 of the 14 zone meters were installed to improve water management, upgrades or replacements to portions of pipe lines are ongoing, to name but a few bigger interventions. Currently we are busy with the installation of a new pump station at Riverton which will have enhanced capability and see the immediate installation of 4 new high volume pumps with an allowance for 2 more if needed in future. The project is on track and expected to come to fruition by September 2018.
In addition we aim to minimize water losses and repair leaks on the main water pipe line carrying water from Riverton to the city. It is projected that this could result in a saving of water of between 5 to 7%. In due course we will also commence planning for additional storage capacity at Riverton to recapture backwashed water that is returned to the river leading to further savings of about 5%.

THE ACTIVITY
The pump station at Riverton is at an advanced construction stage and requires certain preparatory work to the connection of the “in-let manifold” to the existing water reservoir before any concrete casting can take place. For that water extraction and purification will have to be halted. In addition three major leaks on the 965 line need to be repaired. These are at or near 3 SA1 Army base, the new mental health facility, and in the veld near Homelite. All the requisite equipment had been procured or specially manufactured and have been in our possession for a while awaiting an ideal opportunity for installation.
Certain additional work to be undertaken is the replacement of valves, fixing the problem at the corner of Bultfontein and Lennox Roads, the decommissioning of the old pipeline from Newton to Bishops and the commissioning of the new supply line via Burbeck (referred to as the new university line) and several other repairs within the reticulation system.
The works on the bulk lines and at Riverton are to be undertaken by various outside contractors whilst the works in the  reticulation network by our own internal teams. The overall management and control of the project falls under Mr B Dhluwayo, who will be supported by Mr Hennie Harding (to oversee the contractors) and Mr David Leeuw (to oversee internal teams). Several other managers will be part of the overall oversight teams.

CONTINGENCY PLANS & RISK MITIGATION
Whilst residents are urged to ensure sufficient reserves for their domestic and other purposes during the 3 days, a network of water tanks will be provided at key spots accessible to residents. Persons will be allowed to fill their containers from these tanks but limited to 10 liters at a time. These tanks will be refilled on an ongoing basis. A location map of these tanks will be availed in due course. In deciding on the timing of the shutdown various commercial and social factors were taken into account to minimize the negative impact of a shutdown. However, the biggest risks are unforeseen delays during actual operations and post switch-on pipe bursts.

If and when these occur appropriate measures will be considered and communicated via the office of Mr Sello Matsie the SPM Communications Manager.
No other communications must be considered “official” no matter how well intentioned.
All emergency services and security will be on alert and residents are requested to report any damage to the water tanks to the call centre at tel: 053-830 6111 or sms to 44204. Any person damaging these tanks will be prosecuted. Thanks. 

Mr.Sello Matsie
Communications Manager

Shortlink for this post: https://www.kimberley.org.za/?p=18762