Following Eskom‘s move to Stage 6 load-shedding this past weekend, the City reminds the public to be cognisant of the potential impact on City, despite the contingency measures that are in place. It also affects the City’s ability to protect its customers from a stage or two of load-shedding at times as the city is unable to generate enough reserves to protect at high stages of non-stop load-shedding.
In events of stage 6 load-shedding the public is urged to note the following: SIGNALISED TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS Some 1 087 of the 1 641 traffic signals on the City’s Road network is equipped with Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems. Three hundred and sixty of these UPS systems utilise lithium-ion batteries which can power signals for longer and recharge quicker during higher stages of load shedding. These systems are located at the largest and most critical intersections. The remaining UPS systems are not, however, able to recharge sufficiently under non-stop higher load- shedding stages and will cease to operate over time. • Please treat intersections as four-way stops when the signals are out. • Please report continuous outages to our 24-hour Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63. LOAD-SHEDDING RELATED SEWER OVERFLOWS Unfortunately, with high, prolonged stages of load-shedding, there could be sewer spills and overflows, despite the City’s contingency measures. An added challenge is the dumping of inappropriate material in the sewer system, which leads to blockages. Where incidents occur, the City acts immediately in accordance with a standing sewage spill protocol to facilitate a well-coordinated, swift and efficient response across various City departments. The response includes containing the impact where possible effecting repairs as quickly as possible, and – where need be – implementing temporary precautionary closures until water quality results show it is safe for recreational use. It is important to add that the City’s sewer pump stations need electricity to function effectively and convey sewage to Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTWS) where it can be treated. As a means to mitigate the impact of load-shedding: • Larger priority sewer pump stations are fitted with permanent generators as a measure to increase the resilience of sanitation supply systems • Maintenance staff are on standby and are on high alert. • All pump stations are fitted with telemetry to help monitor the sump levels of the facilities ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE While Cape Town’s infrastructure is in good condition, high stages of load-shedding can result in damage, which leads to prolonged outages and increased service requests. Sometimes, pockets of areas are excluded from load-shedding for a period in order to do critical, necessary maintenance work.
There are also outages resulting from secondary tripping. This happens when the electricity comes back on after load-shedding. However, due to electricity returning at the same time in a particular pocket of an area, the power often trips and shuts off again. Hence one would experience this as power coming on, and a few minutes later, it is off. To help reduce the occurrence of this, residents are advised to switch off electrical appliances ahead of load-shedding to prevent secondary outages.
ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS AND CABLE THEFT Illegal connections and damage to infrastructure can also lead to outages. Non-stop load-shedding at high stages leaves infrastructure vulnerable. The City monitors hot spot areas but residents are encouraged to report any incidents of theft, vandalism and damage to infrastructure to the City and the South African Police Service. The City offers a reward of R5 000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest, confiscation of stolen or illegal goods or the handing in of illegal or stolen goods. This reward is also applicable to information leading to the arrest of people vandalising, damaging or stealing electricity infrastructure or installing illegal connections. MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOLS Electricity is essential for the proper functioning of a swimming pool’s plant room, serving as the control centre for water circulation and chemical distribution to maintain water quality standards. The City has established protocols to manage pool capacity, chemical levels and water circulation during load-shedding events, to maintain health and safety standards. The following measures will be implemented in the event of load shedding: Before Opening Times: • Pools may remain closed until electricity is restored in the plant room. • Pools may open briefly but might need to close again unexpectedly if water quality falls below standard. During Operational Times: • Patrons will be requested to exit the water if water quality falls below the standard. • Patrons may choose to stay within the facility, avoiding the water, provided alternative recreational space is available. • No additional costs will be incurred for patrons already inside the facility during load shedding. If extended load-shedding shutdowns lead to mechanical and system failures in the plant room, swimming pools may close until further notice. In such cases, patrons will be asked to exit the water and the facility will be closed for safety reasons. Please note that during load shedding, no tickets will be sold, and new entries will not be allowed at any swimming pool when systems are offline. In the event of a swimming pool closure, requiring patrons to leave, a new ticket will be necessary for re-entry.
