JB Marks Municipality Issues Comprehensive Water and Infrastructure Status Report
- Karen Scheepers
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
JB Marks Local Municipality is managing a series of service delivery challenges involving water reservoir fluctuations and electrical infrastructure repairs. While several sectors of the municipality report stable utility levels, critical thresholds in specific reservoirs and accidental damage to power lines have necessitated active intervention from municipal technical teams and a call for public cooperation.
Reservoir System Status and Water Conservation Efforts
Acting Superintendent Motsamai Mohutsioa released a detailed update on April 20 regarding the state of the municipal reservoir system. The report highlights a significant decline in specific areas, most notably within the Ventersdorp system.
Ventersdorp Critical Alert Ventersdorp Res 1 has returned to a 50.00% capacity, reaching what officials describe as the emergency threshold. Residents in Mohadin, Promosa, Zakhele, and Sarafina have been advised that dropping below this level may result in unreliable supply. Conversely, Res 2 (57.1%) and Res 3 (60.7%) are currently maintaining stable levels.
Regional Performance Overview
Ikageng Main: Reports excellent performance at 90.91%.
Vyfhoek Complex: Remains strong with levels between 93% and 96%.
Ikageng West: Recorded a drop from 95% to 81.82%, placed under observation.
Eesterandjies: The 5ML reservoir sits at 31.82%. Despite the decline from 36%, technical teams consider this a manageable "pullback" rather than a critical failure.
Power Grid Management: Restorations and Delays
The municipality issued several public notices on April 21, 2026, regarding the status of the electrical grid in Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom.
Successful Restoration in Ventersdorp Following a transformer failure at the Ventersdorp Substation, Eskom and municipal technicians identified an open winding in the primary 10 MVA unit. After satisfactory laboratory testing of oil samples from a secondary unit, the transformer underwent a soaking process. Load was gradually restored to feeder lines at hourly intervals to prevent system overloading, successfully returning power to all affected residents.
Damage to Mohadin and Promosa Supply An accidental cable breach by a contractor working on a sewer pipeline near Poortjie Dam resulted in a power outage for Mohadin and Promosa. Although repair materials have been sourced, ongoing rainfall has prevented technicians from performing the necessary cable jointing. Work is scheduled to resume as soon as weather conditions allow, with restoration anticipated for Wednesday, April 22.
Temporary Closure of Public Facilities
In a separate development, the JB Marks Local Municipality announced the immediate closure of the Potchefstroom Library and Museum. The decision was made following a water supply interruption that rendered the buildings non-compliant with health and safety standards. The Department of Water and Sanitation is currently working to restore service to these facilities.
The municipality continues to monitor the intersection of environmental factors and infrastructure stability. While technical progress is noted in the electrical sector, the stability of the water system remains dependent on both municipal maintenance and reduced consumer demand in high-risk zones.
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