Engineers and officials from the Lesedi Local Municipality (LLM) recently met with concerned DA councillors Gerry Holtzhauzen, Sieg Paul and Yvonne Combrinck to discuss and find solutions to the water crisis in Heidelberg.
Parts of Heidelberg have been severely affected, and it is now nearing 50 days that taps have run completely dry in some areas.
The councillors brought in independent specialists to help and advise on the crisis.
The attendees discussed options and short-, medium- and long-term goals.
In the meeting with LLM officials, Thobeka Zondi (HoD infrastructure) and Star Moholobela (manager water and sanitation), the councillors and the engineers discussed ideas to address the situation to ensure all residents receive sufficient water.
The officials decided that water-shifting (shifting water from one system to another) would be the best action.
However, incorrectly implementing water-shifting could jeopardise the entire water system in Lesedi, including supply to medical institutions, senior citizen homes, schools and industrial areas.
They called for community members not to panic if the water pressure dropped significantly during this time and reminded them to be water-wise.
“We need to work smart with the water we receive from Rand Water. Every day, Rand Water changes the pressure intake, sometimes even more than once on the same day.
“We can’t create ‘more’ water. We can only try to find a way to distribute what we receive fairly,” said Combrinck.
