One good thing resulting from the #watercrisis – neighbours started talking, caring about the man next door
Pipes running dry leads to overflow of communication.
As numerous residents felt the impact of this week’s water crisis, and hopefully none still do, one good thing has resulted from this failure in service delivery and it was not the great return of H2O. It was people talking to each other.
I am a resident of ward 92 which includes Sunnyridge and other areas served by the Bedfordview and Edenvale News. It was the members of this ward’s Facebook group that helped most of us survive the week. It informed us and we had a platform to air our frustrations.
People – friends, relatives, neighbours, strangers and even residents from neighbouring wards including ward 20 in Bedfordview and Clr Heather Hart’s ward in Edenvale, joined this community online to find answers and support from others.
Support went as far as tips on how to implement a bucket system and save water, where to find the best-priced camp shower, a Primrose hair salon offered free hair washes to women and children and those with water transported litres and litres of water in response to fellow residents’ cries for assistance online.
This morning residents who had water running from their taps went as far as expressing sympathy with those still left high-and-dry and publicly stating the hope that all will have water within the next few hours.
Well done to this ward’s residents and the members of this online community. Some may say this can be attributed to the power of social media. I say let us not forget it is man who gives “life” to social media. Where and how we communicate is irrelevant, as long as we continue talking.
I believe the kindness and caring attitude portrayed by the waterless of ward 92 is an example to follow when addressing all service delivery concerns, social ills such as drugs and domestic violence and violent crime.
Continue talking to each other residents – there is power in a united voice.
A word of caution fellow residents. Let us not send letters of commendation, thank you notes and bouquets simply because we have water again. I for one, see this as praising mediocrity.
We paid for this in the first place and I for one am not behind on payment and hence will keep my praises for extraordinary.
Happy washing residents who have water. The latest update on water in Sunnyridge – School Avenue had water, briefly. The wait for the great return of H2O continues.
