JB Marks Local Municipality Responds to Major Breakdown at Lakeside Water Treatment Plant

Karen Scheepers
12 hours ago
2 min read

The JB Marks Local Municipality has issued an urgent public notice following a significant mechanical failure at the Lakeside Water Treatment Plant on Monday, January 26, 2026. The breakdown has resulted in widespread water supply interruptions across several key areas of Potchefstroom.

Technical Failure and Impacted Areas

According to the municipality’s communication unit, Pump 3 at both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the plant experienced a mechanical failure. This disruption has directly impacted the water levels at the Eesterandjies Reservoirs, leading to supply outages in:

All Ikageng Extension areas
Eesterandjies Reservoirs

The maintenance team is currently sourcing the necessary spare parts required for the repairs. Work is officially scheduled to commence on the morning of Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Emergency Relief Measures

To assist the affected communities during the repair period, the municipality has dispatched two municipal water tankers to provide interim water supply. Residents are encouraged to monitor local community channels for the specific locations and arrival times of these tankers.

The municipality has expressed its sincere apologies for the inconvenience and has thanked residents for their continued cooperation as technical teams work to resolve the crisis.

Broader Context of Water Infrastructure

This mechanical breakdown follows a separate planned outage on January 19, 2026, which was conducted to modernize the local system by installing a new 200kW Motor and Pump at the Ventersdorp Road Pump Station. While that project aimed to improve long-term reliability, the current unplanned failure at the Lakeside facility highlights the ongoing challenges posed by aging infrastructure within the region.

Key Information for Residents

Date of Failure	Monday, 26 January 2026
Repair Start Date	Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Primary Cause	Mechanical failure of Pump 3 (Phase 1 & 2)
Relief Provided	2 Water Tankers dispatched