As Rand Water prepares for the next phase of its infrastructure maintenance programme across Gauteng, it has completed several significant milestones since kicking off on June 22.

The water utility expects to complete the project by July 29.

In an update issued on Thursday, Rand Water said that across its Eikenhof system, it had completed the connection of the existing F16 pipeline to the new F5 pipeline and the new meters, the interconnection of Waterval 1 and 2 reservoirs and the interconnection of engine rooms at Eikenhof pumping station.

It has also cleaned the sedimentation tank at the Vereeniging water treatment plant.

At the Mapleton system, the transformer supplying Trichardt pumping station has been upgraded, the MV switchgear at Mapleton pumping station was installed and the new N6 pipeline has been tied into the existing N6 pipeline.

Further, at the Palmiet system, Rand Water tied in the J7 pipeline into the G17 and J6 pipelines and moved load to a new 400 V electrical board at Palmiet pumping station, and at the Zwartkopjes system, the water utility replaced a defective valve at Zwartkopjes pumping station.

“Even though Rand Water and its municipal customers implemented various interventions to stabilise the systems during the maintenance of the above-mentioned completed projects, some areas experienced low to no water supply while the network was recovering,” Rand Water said in the statement.

The next phase of the maintenance project will start on July 15, and Rand Water has notified its municipal customers with a 21-day notice period, which enables municipalities to plan, implement appropriate contingency measures and manage storage capacity.