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Tshwane temporarily shuts down north treatment plant due to poor water quality
The Tshwane metro has temporarily shut down the Temba Water Treatment Plant (TWTP) that supplies water to Hammanskraal and surrounding areas due to water quality challenges from the Leeukraal Dam.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo stated that these challenges are related to a power supply interruption following a fire at the Pyramid substation last week.
“The substation supplies power to the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was also affected by the interruption before being back-fed for a period,” Mashigo explained.
“As a result, the plant is currently discharging untreated effluent into the Apies River, which feeds the Leeukraal Dam.”
He mentioned that since the incident, the TWTP has had to reduce pumping capacity, which is now unsustainable.
According to Mashigo, pumping has been shut down to prevent supplying poor water quality to consumers.
“The city will provide roaming water tankers to residents until the situation normalizes, and residents will be updated on new developments,” Mashigo added.
“The city apologizes for any inconvenience that may arise due to this unplanned interruption,” Mashigo concluded.
Previously, Tshwane urged residents in the north of Pretoria to use water wisely.
The metro has now closed the TWTP for four weeks after initially shutting it down due to a technical fault at the plant.
Mashigo warned that failure to heed the call to conserve water may lead to a water supply interruption in Pretoria’s northern areas.
The metro reaffirmed its commitment to providing clean water to Hammanskraal by September this year amidst controversies surrounding the Rooiwal project, which led to the suspension of five senior officials linked to the R295-million tender award.
“There are significant upgrades underway at the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant, with a new professional service provider appointed, paving the way for substantial work to be completed by 2026,” stated acting Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya.
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