7 things you should know from the Ward 10 water crisis meeting

uThukela District Municipality top brass attended a community meeting today (June 9) at the Forderville Hall to address the Ward 10 community about the frequent water disruptions recently being experienced.

Here are 7 things you should know from the meeting that was addressed by the district municipal manager Mr Mnguni:

1. The “common causes” for the frequent and constant water disruptions centred on “primitive” infrastructure, as old as 67 years, and the current demand for service outweighing the capacity.
2. The “common practice” problems, Mr Mnguni that caused water cuts were attributed to the flooding experienced in December/January and April/May, which caused a severe silt build-up in the pipes. The second factor was sabotage by individuals that deliberately shut off pipes and valves.
3. A short-term solution to combat water shortages in Ward 10 and surrounding areas was to drill massive “production boreholes” that would service the residents of Rensburgdrift. The municipal manager indicated that he had met with representatives from the Al-Imdaad Foundation and Gift of the Givers to request assistance. The long-term plan is to build a reservoir. The municipal manager did not indicate when areas affected by the current disruption will receive water supply, even though this question was asked by several residents.
4. The poor quality of the water from taps will be addressed by a clean-out of water plants and reservoirs. This will however result in a complete shut-down of water services and, according to Mr Mnguni will only be done after the community receives prior notice.
5. A resident questioned what had happened to the money that deposited into a bank account, as advised by the Water Crisis Committee years ago. Ward 10 councillor Edith Lite said she would contact a former member of the committee and request a community meeting for feedback.
6. Residents voiced concerns about the availability and hand out of water from the tankers, saying it was never seen in some areas or often only selected homes were being serviced. Residents were told that an additional water tanker will be servicing the affected areas.
7. One resident spoke up about the damage that uThukela staff cause to roads after pipe repairs, advising that there should be a plan of action to avoid this. The municipal manager agreed that it was an issue that would be discussed.

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