The past two weeks have tested the patience and decency of many residents, who are now considering alternatives to tap water.
Early last week residents of Frank Townsend Street, Impala Street, Extension 2 and Parkville complained via phone calls, emails and social media about water that tasted strange and smelt like sewage.
In response to the flood of enquiries and concerns over contamination, several samples of water from different parts of town were collected last Wednesday. The Mbombela Local Municipality, local DA councillor and the White River Ratepayers Association then sent them to different independent laboratories to test whether they were safe for consumption.
According to the municipality it seemed like only parts of town were affected but samples were collected from all over to ensure that a problem area was not excluded.
On Sunday and Monday, some residents were left without water after a pipe burst. This occured late Saturday afternoon near Manna Church in Rocky Drift, on the pump line from Phumlani pump station to White River. Repairs were reportedly delayed as the necessary parts to repair the cracked pipe could not be obtained. On Monday morning the pipe was repaired, but residents were cautioned to use water sparingly as it would take time to fill up the reservoir.
Load-shedding also managed to throw a spanner in the works on Monday evening, as this delayed the filling of the reservoir.
When workers went to start up the pumps at the Phumlani pump station after load-shedding water was not coming through to the pump station. They discovered yet another huge water leak between the pump station and Novaboard. On Tuesday afternoon they were still in the process of repairing it, which meant that reservoirs could not be filled until later that evening.
The results of the water tests were also released by the municipality and DA councillor Trudie Morgan on Monday. No sewage contamination was discovered and only trace amounts of E.coli and total coliforms (at acceptable levels) were found. “Nothing that could make residents sick,” Morgan explained.
No feedback on what caused the water’s bad taste and smell had been received as of yet.
Along with results, a warning also went out regarding the dwindling groundwater supply and low dam levels. According to officials from water and sanitation, the supply of raw water from the White River irrigation board has already been reduced and water restriction schedules would have to be drawn up in due time.
On social media residents were also urged to start conserving water, even in times of ample supply.
Residents should therefore report any water problems as soon as possible to avoid water wastage. Contact the Water and Sanitation office on 013-750-6021/6000.
