Load shedding causes water and sewage treatment plant Issues

Posted by Tsoku Maela on 18 January 2023

The Breede Valley Municipality has warned residents to boil water as load shedding has affected water and waste-water treatment plants.

Picture: Unsplash

The municipality, which includes towns such as Worcester, De Doorns, Rawsonville and Touwsrivier, has advised residents to use household chlorine and certain bleaches in warm water to disinfect water in order to ensure water quality. Chad Malgas, the Manager of Integrated Development Planning, Service Delivery and Budget Implementation, and Performance Management System, at the Breede Valley Municipality, said, ‘Due to higher stages of load shedding, the treatment water may become compromised, which is why we have advised citizens to boil water as a safety precaution.

This is not the first time that load shedding has impacted the ability of municipalities to treat and pump water effectively. In September 2022, the municipality warned that residents could experience sewage spills due to sewage pump stations being unable to function above Stage 3 of load shedding. Last year, residents in Cape Town’s eastern, central, and southern suburbs also reported issues of discoloured water due to a control fault at the Faure Treatment Plant.

Sisebeko Mbandezi, a Mayoral Committee Member of Water and Sanitation, said that water quality is not currently an issue, however, the municipality has experienced water supply shortages and sewage spillages related to load shedding. He explained that the sewerage pumps and equipment at plants need to be switched on and off due to load shedding, which causes faults. Generators at plants have helped the Cape Town municipality deal with power outtages, but they cannot supply electricity to all pumps, resulting in pumps still not being operational during load shedding.

The City of Cape Town has also advised residents to monitor their water usage as the water supply could be interrupted due to load shedding. Residents in Somerset West have already been affected by the water supply over the weekend, according to Mbandezi. Click the link for more Loadshedding news.

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