Residents in elevated areas of White River are facing a worsening water crisis, with some communities going without supply for up to two weeks.

By failing to act, the City of Mbombela (CoM) is effectively denying residents a globally acknowledged basic human right.

Despite residents engaging with the CoM in every possible way, little to nothing has been done to resolve the problem. Action that has been taken was either not what was needed or totally insufficient.

Ward Councillor Rowan Torr said the most adversely affected areas are Coltshill, Legogota, Primkop, Da Gama, Klipkoppie and the top portion of Waterkant Estate.

“The common thread linking these communities is their elevated locations, proving that the lack of supply is brought about by not having sufficient uphill pressure, water capacity and the necessary infrastructure. This is exacerbated during times of high demand. This is not a once-off event, but a continuous problem. The only regularity here is the persistent outages,” he explained.

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According to Torr, the CoM’s Department of Water and Sanitation is aware of the situation and has reportedly hired an outside contractor to investigate why these areas are affected.

He said this is simply another sign of incompetence on the part of a municipality with no understanding of its mandate. Torr believes the money spent on hiring an independent contractor would be better used to address the problem.

“The crisis is a clear sign of systemic failure, as the reservoirs are full,” he said, pointing out that the issue that must be addressed is an inadequate pump.

He said the pump – recently installed by the CoM to transfer water from the main underground reservoir to the tower reservoir – is totally ineffective.

“The electrical supply trips frequently and requires manual reset, which always takes time,” Torr explained. He highlighted the fact that the entire area’s water infrastructure is in a shocking state, indicating municipal neglect. Another considerable factor in this increasingly serious situation is increased demand as a result of urban expansion. The Fairlands Estate now features additional complexes, approved by the CoM’s city planning department. Torr said the system – incapable of meeting water demand before the new expansion – is now further burdened by this growth.

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To address this situation and restore reliable water supply, he proposed a two-pronged solution addressing capacity and accountability.

This includes increasing immediate pump capacity at the reservoir feed to ensure that sufficient water can be pumped to elevated storage facilities to meet current and future demand.

He also called for the installation of a monitoring system to understand consumption patterns and identify unauthorised or excessive usage.

CoM spokesperson Joseph Ngala said a team has been on site to address low or no water pressure issues at Coltshill during certain hours.

“We will be installing a pump to fix the problem. I can also confirm that a contractor is onsite fixing broken pipes, and the work will be concluded soon,” he said. “We are calling on community members to be patient with us while we work on restoring the water.”