The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality said on Sunday, the water supply system is stabilizing and in the process of recovering.
Residents in higher-lying areas of the Western suburbs, including Kama Heights, upper Lorraine, upper Rowallan Park, Greenbushes, Kuyga, and St. Albans, should begin experiencing improved water pressure.
The City said normal water supply is expected to be restored progressively throughout Sunday.
This is as a result of urgent maintenance at the Scheeprsvlakte Dam.
The Municipality said although the dam has started to fill, the water was highly turbid, making it difficult to treat quickly enough to meet demand. This caused intermittent disruptions at treatment and pump stations, and the bulk reservoirs at Nooitgedagt and Chelsea.
Due to a malfunction at the water treatment plant (Loerie Filter Bank Malfunction), the output was reduced from 70 Ml/d to 35 Ml/d. The system was expected to recover within 48 hours, after disinfection and cleaning efforts.
The malfunction affected the supply from Churchill/Impofu, reducing the transfer of 30 Ml/day to feed the Western and Southwestern areas. This system was under a 23% water restriction, further exacerbating the issue.
As a result, affected Reservoirs are Motherwell: 16% – Partial recovery, Chelsea: 8% – Critical and Emerald Hill: 29% – Critical.
Residents in the area between City Hall and Russel Road had low water pressure, particularly in high-rise buildings. This was due to recent pipe bursts, which were not repaired.
Residents are urged to continue to use water sparingly as the system recovers.