In response to the announcement of the introduction of Stage 6 load shedding by Eskom, Overstrand Municipality has set contingency plans in place to ensure minimum disruption to basic services.
The municipality said in a statement that instruction had been issued to the management of the municipality to prepare contingency plans to provide for minimum disruption to services such as water provision, sewerage, law enforcement as well as fuel security for the municipality.
Overstrand Municipality’s Communications Department was also requested to prepare a communication plan, should the situation at Eskom deteriorate further, while the IT Department was tasked with ensuring OM’s IT systems will continue operating “as it is the backbone of the municipality’s communication and accounting services.”
Overstrand Executive Mayor Dr Annelie Rabie stated: “I am confident the municipality, as it was in the past when Stage 6 load shedding was imposed, is well prepared to mitigate any service-delivery disruptions that may occur as a result of power losses. I am further heartened by Minister Anton Bredell’s statement that the possibility of a complete system failure, which could lead to a national blackout situation, is extremely low. But we need to be aware and prepared that Eskom system operators may have to introduce even further measures to prevent a blackout.”
Rabie confirmed not all pump stations have standby generators, but gave the assurance that mobile generators as well as additional honeysuckers would be used to keep sewer pump stations from overflowing.
“These have also been prioritised to ensure we keep close watch on those that may cause environmental damage should they overflow, and attend to them first,” she said.
“In terms of water provision I was informed that sufficient capacity existed to ensure continued provision. However, a drop in water pressure may be experienced in some areas.”
Fuel security, the Mayor said, is an issue outside of the control of the Municipality. She said the Overstrand Municipality had communicated with fuel providers within its area, who stated they expected no shortages in the short term.
“Our operational teams do have a plan in place to keep vehicles providing essentials services at maximum fuel levels.
“It is important that the public remain calm and not do panic buying or stocking up of fuel. I also wish to request their assistance in lowering consumption of water during the Stage 6-8 load-shedding periods, to minimise the pressure on both our water and sewerage systems.
“Finally, I would like to thank the public for their support and perseverance in these trying times.”