Stolen tanks and dirty tap water: Free State residents’ water struggles

Fouriesburg and Mashaeng residents in the Free State face an escalating water crisis, with stolen water storage tanks and contaminated tap water compounding their struggles.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Dihlabeng Local Municipality to take urgent action to address these worsening conditions, which have left many without access to clean water.

According to the DA, the crisis has reached critical levels, disrupting lives and threatening residents’ well-being.

“The water shortages result from ageing infrastructure, poor maintenance, and delays in critical projects,” it said.

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Frequent breakdowns of water pump

DA councillor Irene Rügheimer added that many JoJo tanks installed to alleviate water shortages have been stolen or are non-functional due to poor maintenance.

This has forced residents to seek alternative water sources, often at significant personal expense.

“The water that is supplied is often discoloured and unsafe for consumption, forcing residents to purchase drinking water,” she said.

Furthermore, the absence of a weir at the Caledon River meant the water pump was unable to transfer adequate water to the treatment plant, while frequent pump breakdowns due to cavitation have only worsened the situation.

Rügheimer said although work at the Caledon River has begun, progress remains slow.

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Issues addressed

Meanwhile, mechanical failures at the Carolina pump station and broken borehole pumps continue to disrupt supply, leaving residents without a reliable water source.

According to the DA, approximately 2 000 leaking toilets in Mashaeng are wasting substantial amounts of water daily, exacerbating the supply shortage.

Frustrated by these ongoing issues, community members have launched a petition demanding immediate interventions, including:

• Regular maintenance of water pumps and motors to prevent failures;
• Secure placement and consistent refilling of JoJo tanks;
• Upgrades to outdated infrastructure;
• Urgent repairs to leaking toilets to conserve water.

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‘Basic human right’

The DA has pledged to escalate the matter to provincial and national authorities.

“Access to clean, safe, and reliable water is a basic human right,” said Rügheimer. “The municipality must act swiftly to resolve these persistent issues.”

Rügheimer added that without urgent intervention, the crisis is expected to worsen, increasing health risks and financial burdens on already struggling residents.

The Citizen reached out to the municipality of Dihlabeng but had not received any replies by the time of publishing.

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