Hopes and taps dry up for residents in Ext 15, eMbalenhle
“We prefer the previous water throttle to the total shutting down of water in our taps, and no one is coming to explain to us.”
Some community members in Ext 15 still face a serious water problem, despite the Govan Mbeki Municipality recently installing new water valves.
According to residents, their hopes of receiving water from the nearby reservoir are over. They claim the municipality lied to them, saying their water problem would be a thing of the past.
“We are now faced with a bigger water problem than before they installed the valves. Our taps are completely dry,” said Vusi Likhuleni, a resident in Ext 15.
“We read in the newspaper that the municipality was preparing to supply Charl Cilliers from our struggling reservoir, while it cannot even supply us who are close to it,” said Likhuleni.
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Some residents said the water scarcity in their sections forces them to ask for water in others, but this creates a conflict over water bills.
They further claimed that the municipality failed to send water tankers to them.
“Why does our municipality not shut down this reservoir? It is useless. This problem has been here for years, and we only get false promises.
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“Is it not ironic that the mayor’s home is here next to us, but we are suffering without water?” asked another resident.
Donald Green, the municipality’s acting communication manager, said they suspect the low water pressure is because of an additional malfunctioning valve on the water network.
“We are also experiencing constant breakdowns and vandalism on the booster pipeline between the Ext 18 pump station and the Waste Water Treatment Works, which assist in supplying water to Ext 15.
“Currently, the line is vandalised, and we are in the procurement process to repair it,” said Green.
