Residents gatvol of dry taps
Life has become unbearable for residents in this area.
MOSELEY resident Louise Burgess championed the cause to get some information and answers from the municipality on the water woes that plagued the area recently. She spent countless hours on the phone trying to get assistance from the municipality. Her persistence finally paid off, and she managed to get some answers from the water manager’s secretary.
“The City has a responsibility to clearly explain what needs to be done and how it will get done. It is frustrating, but if you don’t keep trying, you won’t get anywhere,” said Burgess, who was not convinced the problem was just the reservoirs as the City had stated previously.
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“Last month, It was a constant battle to stay hydrated and clean. I bought bottled water, and fortunately, we have a swimming pool. My husband, Mark, put a pump on, and I was able to shower with the pool water. It is unhygienic for people to not have water, and not everyone has a pool. We pay for our water, but we were not receiving that service.”
With a school, veterinarian, old age homes and many elderly people living in the area, it made life almost unbearable for residents.
Added to Louise’s frustration was a lack of support from neighbouring residents. After calling for a meeting to band residents together to put more pressure on the City for answers, only two people showed up – Saroj Dorasamy, who lives on Cotham Road, and Ignus Hitge from Dan Pienaar Road.
“If the City cannot provide basic services, then let the people do it,” was Saroj’s opinion. “The City needs to be held accountable and let residents know what is going on,” added Ignus.
Water tankers had been dispatched to the affected areas, but this was not a viable solution for everyone, as some could not get to the designated areas, and pensioners cannot be expected to carry water back to their houses.
“Why has this problem not been sorted out since the floods? It is because of a lack of maintenance. We can live without electricity but not water. The City needs to sort out the aqueducts,” said Burgess.
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