Power outage at Dhabeji disrupts water supply

A sudden power breakdown by K-Electric at the Dhabeji Pumping Station disrupted two water lines of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) on Monday.

According to a press statement from the KWSC, the incident caused damage to the 72-inch PCC Line No 1 and the 72-inch MS Line No 5 due to reverse pressure. A spokesperson for the corporation said KWSC officials immediately began inspecting the damaged lines and initiated emergency repairs.

The Chief Engineer of KWSC announced that repairs on Line No 5 would be completed within 24 hours, while Line No 1 would require four days for full restoration. The power outage, which occurred at 9:15 AM on Monday, halted all operations at the pumping station. However, K-Electric restored power by 10:45 AM, allowing water supply from alternative lines to resume.

Despite the disruption, Karachi, which typically received 650 million gallons per day (MGD) of water, was now facing a shortfall of 100 MGD due to the ongoing repairs. The supply of 550 MGD continued uninterrupted.

The KWSC had assured citizens that every effort was being made to restore the water supply as quickly as possible and minimise further disruptions to the public. On the other hand, the K-Electric said the power supply to the Dhabeji Pumping Station has been timely restored. The minor disruption at the station has been resolved, and KE’s system remains stable, ensuring uninterrupted power delivery.

A KE spokesperson said all major pumping stations of the KWSc), including Dhabeji, are exempt from loadshedding. In emergency situations, alternative power sources are used to maintain supply. KE teams stay in constant communication with KWSC representatives.