JB Marks urges residents to use water sparingly as repairs continue
Residents in parts of Potchefstroom are being urged to conserve water following a pipe burst on the line feeding the Vyfhoek Reservoir, which has affected several residential areas in the region. The JB Marks Local Municipality issued an update on Tuesday morning, 9 April 2025, to provide clarity on the ongoing repair efforts.
According to the municipality, the affected pipe—a 450mm asbestos line—has been identified, and all necessary materials for the repair are on hand. However, recent heavy rainfall and excess water around the site have created significant challenges for the repair team. Officials from the municipality’s Technical Services Directorate are actively working on-site, but progress has been hampered by environmental conditions.
In a further setback, a TLB (tractor-loader-backhoe) machine reportedly became stuck on Monday night while responding to the incident. This has added to the delay in restoring the water supply to normal levels.
The burst has primarily impacted areas such as Baillie Park, Van der Hoff Park, Mooivallei, Tuscany Ridge, Vyfhoek Mall, and Grimbeek Park, which all depend on the Vyfhoek Reservoir.
The municipality has assured residents that water tankers are on standby and will be deployed should the situation worsen. In the meantime, residents are advised to collect sufficient water for essential use and to use existing water resources sparingly until the pipe is repaired and supply is stabilized.
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Water Supply Update: Overnight Pipe Repair Fails in Potchefstroom, Water Tankers Deployed
JB Marks teams resume emergency repairs as supply disruptions persist in several suburbs
Efforts to repair a burst 450mm asbestos pipe supplying water to the Vyfhoek Reservoir in Potchefstroom have suffered a setback after overnight repair work failed to hold. This comes after several days of disruptions and challenging repair conditions due to ongoing rainfall and flooding at the site.
The JB Marks Local Municipality had initially confirmed that materials were available and teams were working on-site, but conditions have continued to hamper progress. The affected pipe, which services key residential areas including Baillie Park, Van der Hoff Park, Mooivallei, Tuscany Ridge, Vyfhoek Mall, and Grimbeek Park, remains out of operation.
Early on Wednesday morning, 10 April 2025, Mooirivier Beskerming confirmed in a community update that municipal teams have returned to the site to address the latest failure. The update also noted that water tankers would once again be deployed to provide temporary relief to residents and schools.
Water delivery points have been confirmed at the following locations:
Baillie Park Spar
Pick n Pay Van der Hoffpark
Vyfhoek Mall
Deliveries to local schools are also being prioritized this morning.
Residents are urged to continue using water sparingly, collect what they can when tankers are available, and monitor local community group updates for changes to the schedule or further information.
This ongoing disruption highlights the vulnerability of local infrastructure under adverse weather conditions and the strain it places on emergency repair efforts.
Further updates will be issued as developments unfold.
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