Water war brewing

The ongoing water problems for several months in town are seriously souring relations between the council and residents. Social media is abuzz with angry residents lashing out.
Initially, the problems were ascribed to a suction motor at the pumping station needing replacement. Months passed, and then the news that the newly ordered suction motor was the wrong size! Ratepayers were up in arms, demanding to know if this was just oversight or gross negligence.
A new motor had to be re-ordered, but since the municipality’s requisition and buying process is cumbersome, orders are placed on a waiting list for months.
Once more residents had to bear the brunt. The correct suction motor did not end the problems. It was claimed the water usage was too high during the day not giving the reservoir a chance to fill up. So, the water was cut off in the evening for the levels to replenish. Residents also complained the water system was full of air resulting in skyrocketed water consumption readings.
In December 2024, the municipality informed the residents the immense heat wave and influx of tourists were putting extra pressure on the supply chain, as water usage increased during the hottest part of the day. This made no sense since the water supply was cut off between 12:00 and 16:00 daily (the hottest time of day) and the taps were dry. The utility bills stayed high.
Later it was argued that a large part of Bela-Bela’s water supply comes from Magalies Water which was experiencing problems with their systems and limited the supply of bulk water to our area.
So, still no conclusion about what the real problem was – it appeared that residents were being appeased with every conceivable excuse.
On 15 December 2024, Die Pos issued an ultimatum for an official explanation from Peter Moloto, Head of Communications at the Bela-Bela Municipality. He redirected us to have an interview with the Head of the Department for Water and Sanitation. This was done the same day.
When we reopened for 2025 on 11 January, Die Pos once again enquired about this interview without any response. Two days later, Moloto requested Die Pos to send him the list of questions about the water issues.
Since then, residents are also complaining about dirty water – tap water is murky and sometimes has a bad odour. The common excuse that the heavy rainfall in December and early January has muddied the water makes no sense as the water still has to go through the purification process and be treated.
Cllr JeeDee Cloete explained to Die Pos the reservoir water is minimised at night, to protect the pipes from bursting, as pressure builds up. The current piping network cannot handle the pressure, leading to burst water mains occurring early mornings. It appears that the main line pipes installed a few years ago cannot handle the pressure, pointing to inferior materials used during that upgrade.
The dirty water issue escalated when resident Steve Nicol had his property’s water evaluated at 17 Hospitaal Street, Bela-Bela. The report was handed to Die Pos. According to the concise water quality evaluation report from Aquatico Scientific in Centurion, the water quality is at an unacceptable level, and “the tested water sample is NOT FIT for use as potable water and domestic use”.
Andries van der Heyde, councillor from the DA, confirmed this report done by Nicol at his own cost only pertains to his property and is factually correct but does not reflect the water quality of Bela-Bela. “In December I requested the system to be flushed again, after continuous complaints from Nicol.”
Van der Heyde initially investigated the matter and already visited the premises in 2024. A serious sewage leakage inside the premises from what appears to be an illegal toilet connection was found. The resident of the premises is solely responsible for dealing with this.
Queries from Die Pos to Aquatico on 3 February revealed permission is needed for information to be given, due to client confidentiality. Nicol refused permission and claimed on social media he was the only source.
Van der Heyde was contacted by Archie Kekana, Head of the Department for Water and Sanitation, to get access to 17 Hospitaal Street, in order to test the water. Nicol refused, but a water sample was collected outside the property and the result is awaited from Waterlab Laboratories.
Meanwhile, the water issue has led to an outcry from residents who demand to know if the water, seldom in their taps, is fit for human consumption. The municipality appeased our mistrust by confirming an amount of R3 million has been allocated for an upgrading project of the Water Treatment Plant starting in July 2025.

• Late on Tuesday afternoon a report on the water quality was received from JeeDee Cloete. This is the report from Water Lab, an independent service provider, sent to the sub-committee and council. If it can be proven that this report is not correct, it can be taken up with the municipality with dire consequences.

Response from Municipality on page 3.