Newcastle Municipality has issued a formal notification, cautioning residents about an upcoming power outage that is set to affect specific areas across the town.
The announcement, provided by Acting Municipal Manager Dr Dumisani Thabethe, attributes the need for the outage to unforeseen circumstances and the strain on the aging infrastructure exacerbated by extended load shedding.
The Newcastle Municipality’s Electricity Section has consequently proposed an emergency maintenance operation at the Earl Substation and the private hospital.
Highlighting the particulars of the planned disruption, the Newcastle Municipality has indicated that on 31 August 2023, a power outage will be implemented at the Earl Substation. The outage is scheduled to commence at 8 am and conclude at 3 pm.
The following areas are slated to be impacted:
- Around Mediclinic Newcastle (The hospital itself does hold back generation to ensure patients are not affected)
- Siyahlala-la
- Fairleigh
Furthermore, the Acting Municipal Manager pointed out that regions falling under the load shedding Zone 7 schedule are at risk of a trip, as the Newcastle Municipality plans to temporarily decommission the substation to facilitate maintenance activities.
” The above maintenance is critical so as to try and eliminate long outages which are caused by poor or no maintenance at all,” elaborated theNewcastle Municipality in its official notice.
In light of these developments, the Newcastle Municipality is appealing to residents within the aforementioned localities to treat all electrical installations as live during the stipulated outage period. This precaution is especially crucial to ensure safety during the planned power interruption.
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