Pretoria – The Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant has resumed operations, but the City of Tshwane warns that tap water has not yet been cleared as safe and must only be used for “flushing toilets until official clearance is issued”.
After a spike in stomach cramps and diarrhoea was recorded at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, the City shut down the plant on 14 October 2026.
Water tests returned extremely high levels of E. coli.
It later emerged that the plant had stopped chlorinating its water supply from about 24 September 2026, owing to supply issues.
RELATED: Bronkhorstspruit: Over 400 Children Suffer Stomach Cramps And Diarrhoea – The Bulrushes
The affected areas included Region 7, which supplies Bronkhorstspruit town and suburbs, Zithobeni, Rethabiseng, Kandustria, Ekangala, and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes on Saturday, 14 November 2026, the City said: “The Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant resumed operations at approximately 17h00 yesterday after a major pipe burst at the high-lift pump station interrupted production”.
The City said that since the restart, teams have been gradually increasing production to help the affected water supply systems recover.
“Water is now being pumped to the Bronkhorstspruit/Zithobeni and Ekandustria reservoirs,” the City said.
“Teams are balancing supply between the two systems to rebuild reserves.
“The Bronkhorstspruit/Zithobeni reservoirs are showing signs of recovery.
“As their levels improve, teams expect to direct more water to the Ekandustria reservoirs later this evening to support their recovery.”
The City said its teams continue to monitor production and reservoir levels closely, adjusting pumping as needed.
“The existing water safety advisory remains in place: tap water must still be used only for flushing toilets until official clearance is issued,” the statement said.
The City said it will provide further updates as the systems recover and thanked residents for their continued patience and cooperation.
