CONCERN continues to grow in the community as ‘water theft’ remains unabated at local beaches.
Numerous 40-litre buckets are filled with water at the public taps situated at the beaches by those who then allegedly sell them off, fueling frustration among local community members.
A letter published a few weeks ago in the Sun, together with heightened awareness of Cape Town’s dire water crisis, has led to locals becoming increasingly aware about the amount of water being used to fill numerous buckets from the public taps at local beaches.
Check out one of the letters: Beach water theft is blatant, ongoing problem
Many residents have noticed the same cars returning with their empty buckets, only to fill them up before they head off to allegedly ‘sell’ the water elsewhere.
Members of the public have allegedly seen these buckets of water being sold at a taxi rank to drivers who need to wash their vehicles. As this is public water and for the community’s use, ratepayers fear they will bear the brunt of the water being taken.
More on water theft: City team turns tide on Ndongeni Road water thieves
Cllr Andre Beetge explained that this is in fact not water theft, as this water belongs to the public.
“These actions don’t qualify as water theft, as the water is quite correctly public water and therefore it should be accessible by the community. Community by definition however extends beyond those who have sight of the taps to include those who are reliant on standpipes for their water,” said Cllr Beetge.
“There are certain areas directly inland from the suburbs which have been without water for some time now and which are being serviced by tankers on a daily basis. This being the main reason why areas in Lower Illovo have been experiencing periods without water, as tankers refilling at the depot in the area empty the holding tank faster than it can fill up. This is as a result of a damaged reservoir which the municipality has not yet replaced, despite numerous calls to this effect.”
Cllr Beetge explained that even the most poor qualify for basic free water,
“whether it comes out of a piped tap to their dwelling, from a standpipe within walking distance of the dwelling, or is brought by tanker or collected from a municipal tap really makes no difference”.
“Whether those with vehicles and who take the trouble to collect it are doing it for free or demanding a surcharge for the ‘service’ remains a debatable issue and the unfortunate reality of the suffering experienced by those who don’t have the means to afford what so many take for granted,” he said.
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