Afternoon Water Interruption – October 2023

UPDATE: 26 October 2023 – 12:13

The Sol Plaatje Municipality will be implementing the afternoon water interruption from today at 13:00 till 16:00.

Due to the dropping of levels at the Newton Reservoir.

As a result the Municipality will be closing all the direct off-takes, we will then open the 2nd reservoir so that uplying areas in town which did not have water since this morning may have water.

The Municipality is working tirelessly to restore the water.

T Riet
Comms

UPDATE: 25 October 2023 – 11:50

The Sol Plaatje Municipality would like to update the residents about the afternoon water interruption scheduled for 13h00 to 16h00 starting this afternoon (Wed, 25 Oct 2023) over and above the nightly interruption taking place as a result of low levels at the Newton Reservoir. The afternoon water interruption is carried out to avoid a total shutdown of the water supply to the residents.

The Municipality had made a major success in the previous week with the storage of water at Newton Reservoir after fixing the siphon, changing the flocculent (Chemical), and revitalising the filter media at Riverton Water Treatment Works which improved the levels reaching 14.0 feet (79%) of the biggest reservoir (102 megalitres) in Newton. The water levels for the last week are as:

The sudden drop in levels are a result of two filter pumps undergoing repairs leaving only one pump in operation at the old Riverton Water Treatment Works. The treatment works have six filter tanks that require at least two pumps to fully operate, however, with one pump in operation, only four filters can be filled. Repairs in one of the pumps will be completed in the afternoon of Wednesday (25 October) and all six (06) filter tanks will be in operation, adding more capacity of treated water.

Under normal operation, Riverton Water Treatment Works should be pumping at least 913 and 600 litres per second on the 900- and 600-millimetre diameter pipes respectively with three pressure booster pumps for at least 20 hours a day, however, due to repairs on the filter pumps only two pressure booster pumps are in operation affecting the water pumping to Newton Reservoir.

The municipality is working tirelessly to provide uninterrupted and reliable water to the residents of Sol Plaatje and your patience and understanding is highly appreciated.

For this to happen without glitches, the municipality appeals to residents and members of the public who currently have to stop watering their gardens and reserve water for consumption only. This will ensure that water that is pumped into the reservoirs is able to reach levels that generate enough pressure to supply all areas in Kimberley Town. The community is encouraged to adopt water-conserving habits even during periods of normal supply.

During the water interruption schools, clinics, and hospitals that do not have water storage will he provided water through the water tank.

BS Matlala
Municipal Manager