Cable fault shuts Themba water plant, disrupting Tshwane supply

The City of Tshwane says it has shut down the Themba Water Treatment Plant after an 11 kV feeder cable fault, warning of water-supply interruptions in several communities, including Hammanskraal West.

The municipality announced the shutdown in a media alert dated 1 October 2026 and posted shortly after noon on Thursday. It said the plant’s dependence on electricity for pumping had forced it to halt operations during the repair period.

The affected areas listed by the city are Sekampaneng, Renstown, Hammanskraal West, Suurman, Units 5 and 7, and Kanana.

A contractor has been dispatched to the site to carry out fault finding, cable termination and the cleaning of carbon in the mini-substation. The statement did not say that those tasks had been completed or that pumping had resumed.

No estimated restoration time was provided. The alert also did not state when the cable fault occurred or when the plant stopped operating. Its publication time therefore does not establish the start of the interruption.

The new announcement follows a separate update on 1 September, when Tshwane said the plant was operating again after a stoppage caused by deteriorating raw-water quality.

That earlier statement reported production of 40 megalitres a day, but said the water remained unsuitable for human consumption at that stage. It said drinking water would continue to be supplied by tankers in affected areas.

Thursday’s cable-fault notice gives no updated assessment of water quality and does not set out tanker arrangements for this interruption. It identifies the electrical fault and repair work as the immediate reasons for the plant shutdown.