The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) would like to update residents on the recent water disruptions across the Metro, the reasons behind them, and the ongoing efforts to stabilise and restore the water system. Over the past few weeks, several areas have experienced intermittent supply as a result of pipe bursts, pump failures, power outages, high water consumption, and planned upgrades at major water treatment facilities. These events have placed significant pressure on the network and slowed the recovery of reservoir levels.
The Nooitgedagt Water Treatment Works, one of the Metro’s main supply sources, recently underwent essential upgrades to improve long-term reliability, including the installation of a new industrial compressor. While these improvements were underway, the plant operated at a reduced capacity, at times producing between 160 and 180 million litres per day instead of its usual output. This resulted in a production deficit of approximately 20 million litres per day. The plant is now producing around 200 million litres per day; however, because water from Nooitgedagt must travel a considerable distance through the bulk system before reaching consumers, full recovery in some areas may still take time.
Recovery has also been affected by several small but impactful faults across the network. At the same time, demand across the Metro has remained extremely high, reaching close to 390–400 million litres per day, even though the system is designed to supply approximately 280 million litres per day. When water is consumed almost as fast as it is supplied, reservoirs cannot build reserves, making the system vulnerable to even minor disruptions. This is similar to filling a bathtub while the drain is open—if the water flows out nearly as quickly as it flows in, the level never rises.
Further challenges were experienced when key facilities such as the Loerie Water Treatment Works experienced power outages on 16, 27, and 30 November, while the Motherwell Pump Station was affected by an outage on 25 November. Even brief electricity dips can cause pumps at Nooitgedagt to trip, requiring specialist Public mechanical and electrical teams to restart them. Vandalism has also added strain on the system. A major leak caused by deliberate damage on the Motherwell–Chelsea pipeline forced the replacement of a 700 mm valve, which halted water transfers from Nooitgedagt for 24 hours. In addition to these issues, the 400 mm pipeline supplying Fairbridge Heights and Vanes Estate has experienced recurring bursts, resulting in repeated interruptions and prolonged reservoir recovery times.
A further challenge will arise due to a planned power shutdown affecting the Nooitgedagt Water Treatment Works. Eskom has informed the Municipality of a scheduled power interruption for critical maintenance on Tuesday, 2 December. As a result, Nooitgedagt will be offline from 06:00 until approximately 18:00 on the same day. Unfortunately, Eskom is unable to postpone this maintenance, and it comes at a difficult time as the system is still in the process of recovering. The shutdown is expected to cause additional delays in stabilising reservoir levels. Residents are kindly requested to use water sparingly during this period to help reduce the impact on supply, and the Municipality thanks consumers for their understanding and cooperation.
Due to the interconnected nature of the water system and the current deficit, the areas most affected by intermittent supply or no water include the following:
Western suburbs supplied by Chelsea Reservoir:
- Baywest
- Rowallan Park
- Sherwood
- Lorraine
- Ben Kamma
- Beverley Grove
- Theesecomb / Lake Farm / Colleen Glen
- Hunters Retreat
- Kabega Park
- Morningside
- Linton Grange
- Framesby
- Malabar
- Sunridge Park
Public
- Westering
- Cotswold
- Fernglen
- Barcelona
- High-lying areas of Helenvale and Gelvandale
Emeraldhill Reservoir Zone:
Emerald Hill:
- Walmer Heights
- Greenshields Park
- Walmer (7th Ave – 14th Ave)
- Walmer Location, Gqeberha
- Glenhurd
- Newton Park
- Schauderville
- Mangold Park
- Greenacres
- Perridgevale
- Adcockvale
- Parsons Hill
- Glendinningvale
- Mill Park
- Linkside
- Mount Croix
- Greenacres Hospital
Public
- St George’s Hospital
- Richmond Hill
- High-lying areas of Central
Lovemore Heights Reservoir Zones:
- Broadwood
- Miramar
- Mount Pleasant
- Providentia
- Pari Park
- Salisbury Park
- Lovemore Heights
- Sardinia Bay
- Old Seaview Road / Deer Park
Additional areas with intermittent or no supply:
- Khayamnandi
- Reservoir Hills
- Winnie
- Joe Slovo
Kwanobuhle Reservoir 1 Zone:
Reservoir 1 levels are low, resulting in intermittent supply in the top portions of the zone.
Affected streets include:
- Nkholi Avenue
- Ben Stungu Street
Public
- Nginza Avenue
- Nhanhanha Avenue
Rosedale Supply Area:
- Rosedale
- Greenfield
The City continues to strengthen the monitoring and management of the water system. Regular SCADA system meetings are underway to improve real-time oversight, ensure loggers are installed at reservoirs that are offline, and enhance incident reporting and work-order processing. Efforts to address water losses are being intensified through revamped Non-Revenue Water (NRW) programmes.
The Municipality aims to maintain a high level of service delivery and improve communication with residents. To support this, a standard process for issuing press releases is being introduced to ensure accurate and timely updates. All leaks and no-water reports must be directed through the Call Centre so incidents can be properly logged and attended to. A dedicated Superintendent will notify Councillors immediately when issues arise that could result in water outages, ensuring information reaches affected communities quickly. The Metro Police, together with Peace Officer–registered officials, will also intensify monitoring to prevent illegal water tanker refilling at fire hydrants.
NMBM remains committed to stabilising the water network, improving operational response, and strengthening communication with residents. We thank the public for their patience and cooperation and urge all residents to use water sparingly at all times.
