Mokopane’s water woes continue despite full Doorndraai Dam
DA councillor Yolande Coetzee explained to Bosveld water supply is a constant battle and the challenges residents face daily are due to old and broken infrastructure.
MOKOPANE – Despite the Doorndraai Dam levels that continue to rise by the day, the taps in Mokopane and surrounding areas remain dry.
A farmer in the Sterkrivier area who resides near the dam, Steven Vermaak, said that this is the first time since 2007 that the dam has reached its full capacity. These extremely low levels of the dam caused serious water shortages in the Mogalakwena area. “After 2007, the dam levels started to decrease significantly. At one stage the dam was below 7%.”
He added that before the rainy season started, the dam level was at 33%. Currently, the dam level is at 98%. Vermaak said that although we approach the end of the rainy season, the water is still flowing in, which brings hope to farmers in the area that the remaining 2% will be filled by the flow feeding the dam.
The divisional head of communications at the Mogalakwena Municipality, Malesela Selokela, told Bosveld the rise in the dam level warms the hearts of residents. He added the municipality is hopeful that the water shortages will soon be a thing of the past. The municipality has, however, urged residents to still use water sparingly.
The residents in town questioned the dry taps in their homes and the water shortages that are still persistent. They told Bosveld they feel they should be relieved from the strict water restrictions of the past few years as Day Zero loomed. The frustration of no water for days on end are far from over.
In the meantime, DA councillor Yolande Coetzee explained to Bosveld water supply is a constant battle and the challenges residents face daily are due to old and broken infrastructure.
“It was previously reported that we only receive a certain amount of water but Lepelle Northern Water currently pumps the 12ML as per their licence. The municipal boreholes at Planknek farms are not at full capacity and only two of the 11 boreholes currently work. As a result, we do not receive our usual amount of water from the boreholes which creates a shortfall in water supply.
The biggest reason as to why our taps are constantly dry, is due to dilapidated infrastructure and financial constraints in the municipality.”
She explained the water pressure in town is regulated through valves of which some are not in proper working condition, while others are completely out of order. The state of the valves causes the pressure in the underground pipeline to rise too high and then pipes burst.
“The pipeline is still old asbestos pipes which urgently need to be replaced, but there is no money available,” she said.
With the demand for materials to repair the pipes and the financial constraints, the municipality decided to reach out to external stakeholders in the mining sector for the necessary materials. The process has, however, not yet been finalised.
