Blast at Top African Water Plant Throttles Johannesburg Supply

An explosion at Africa’s biggest water-treatment plant is curbing supplies in a system that serves more than 11 million people, the latest setback highlighting the decay of infrastructure in South Africa.

The Tuesday blast at the Zuikerbosch facility, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Johannesburg, disrupted bulk supply to parts of Gauteng — the nation’s richest province — after a motor connected to one of the pumps in an engine room failed and forced a temporary shutdown, according to Rand Water, the continent’s biggest bulk-water supplier.