Lesotho Highlands Water tunnel maintenance for two months
The Department of Water and Sanitation calls on water consumers in Gauteng to significantly cut back on their water usage due to a planned shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel system for purposes of inspection and maintenance.
The shutdown, which has been gazetted and took effect on 13 September 2019, will last for two (2) months, starting from 01 October until 30 November 2019. No water transfers to the Vaal River System will be possible over this period as the tunnel will be drained for these inspections and maintenance work to be done.
The LHWP augments the water resources in the Vaal River System that provides water to Rand Water, Sasol, Eskom and a large number of smaller users.
During the inspection and maintenance work, water consumers and especially the farming community will be affected. This therefore necessitates that water users heed the call to use water with the utmost sensitivity to the limited water supply.
To this end, no water may be taken from the Liebenbergsvlei River for any agricultural purposes between 06:00 on a Saturday until 06:00 on a Monday succeeding that Saturday.
Water users in Gauteng are therefore requested to work cooperatively with the Department by ensuring that they use water sparingly and with the greatest care. This is important so as to guarantee that as the work continues, water users are not left in need and that they are able to carry on with their lives as close to normal as possible.
The Department would also like to assure Gauteng residents that contingency measures have been put in place to ensure that water supply continues uninterrupted during this period.
More information:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
Hosia Sithole
Cell: 082 723 2442.
