Ratanda Water Treatment Plant gets upgrade as water supply challenges persist
The upgrade will increase the treatment capacity of the Ratanda Water Care Works from 5 megalitres per day to 10 megalitres per day, helping to meet growing demand and support the planned Obed "Mthombeni" Development.
The practical handover of the upgraded Ratanda Water Care Works is underway, marking an important milestone in efforts to strengthen water infrastructure in the Lesedi Local Municipality.
However, residents in several areas continued to experience low water pressure and water outages during the handover process.
The handover, led by the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT), is taking place from 21 to 23 September 2026 and follows months of water supply challenges that sparked widespread protests in Ratanda in July.
The unrest claimed the lives of Sipho Chipu Motaung and Katleho Moloi, prompting government interventions to improve water security in the municipality.
The upgrade will increase the treatment capacity of the Ratanda Water Care Works from 5 megalitres per day to 10 megalitres per day, helping to meet growing demand and support the ongoing Obed “Mthombeni” Development.
ERWAT said the first phase of the handover focused on testing and operating the completed infrastructure before the facility is fully commissioned.
“Today’s handover focused on testing and operation of completed infrastructure, with further commissioning, training and snag resolution continuing over the next two days,” ERWAT said.
While the handover was taking place, the Lesedi Local Municipality issued a water supply update on 23 September, confirming that several communities were experiencing low water pressure while others had no water at all.
According to the municipality, technical teams inspected the local water infrastructure and found no faults within the municipal system. The matter was subsequently reported to Rand Water, with the municipality awaiting feedback on the cause of the disruption.
The municipality said reservoir levels had dropped to critical levels, with the Command Reservoir at 5%, Rensburg Reservoir at 5%, and Emmasdal Reservoir at 10%. The reported intake pressure was 200 kPa.
Municipal officials said technical teams would continue monitoring the situation and provide residents with updates as more information becomes available.
The municipality apologised to residents for the inconvenience caused.
The latest developments come just days after Lesedi Local Municipality and Rand Water agreed on new interventions aimed at improving the reliability of water supply following the lifting of the previous 20% water supply restriction.
The handover and commissioning process is being overseen by Project Engineer Aubrey Theko, Plant Manager Nelisiwe Ngwane, and District Manager Kabelo Sehlati.
Once fully commissioned, the upgraded Ratanda Water Care Works is expected to significantly improve the municipality’s water treatment capacity and strengthen long-term water security for Ratanda, Heidelberg, Rensburg and surrounding communities.
