We are all in this together

“The water is now finished,” Cllr Harry Heyns says frankly.

Water supply to Vryheid will be completely cut off from tomorrow (Friday). The supply will remain cut-off until proper spring rains bring an end to the drought.

“As much as we plan our lives, nature over-rules everything. The fact that we now don’t have water is a fait accompli. There is nothing we can do about it but come together, work together, be patient and be considerate of each other. Then, maybe, we can get through this together,” continued Cllr Heyns.

Until Klipfontein dam is at least 50% full again, residents will have to fetch water daily from one of the 27 water tanks that will be placed strategically around town. Each resident will only be allowed to collect 20litres of clean drinking water from the water tanks per day. While the municipality is still looking for secure areas to place the tanks, residents can collect water from the Klipkerk from 11am till 2pm, and then from 5pm till 6pm, or from the Mason Street borehole. Beware, however, that the water from the borehole is not safe to drink.

Cllr Heyns explained that the reason some residents have had supply up until now, while others didn’t, is because the supply to the town was decreased from 14megalitres a day to 7megalitres, then 4megalitres and recently to 2megalitres as the drought persisted. Due to the fact that water gravitates to the lowest point, this meant that residents in the lower lying areas had water supply for longer than those in the higher areas. On Friday, however, the water supply will be completely shut off.

Over the last few weeks, as the water crisis intensified, Cllr Heyns has seen greed and selfishness raise its ugly head among residents for a larger share of the remaining water.

“I saw one woman threaten to shoot the volunteers at the Klipkerk for restricting the amount of water she could take. On Sunday, somebody had opened one of the taps on a water tank and let all the water run out of the tank,” he complained.

“My appeal to the public of Vryheid is to please understand the situation and work together because the shortage is going to be with us for a long time. Please don’t abuse each other, your ward councillors, or the volunteers at the water tanks. The volunteers at the Klipkerk work there for no remuneration, out of the goodness of their heart. We cannot afford, now, to have division among ourselves. ”

Residents who are willing to volunteer their time to assist the municipality by managing access at the water tanks are urged to contact Cllr Heyns urgently on 082 800 3030. Cllr Heyns is also in desperate need of pallets to mount the water tanks onto and assistance to transport the tanks to its various destinations.

Cllr Heyns concludes, “When you collect water, try to take the minimum you can manage with. People abusing the water would mean there will not be enough water for everybody. Take only what you need for the day and everybody will be fine.”

All the information in this article is correct at the time of print. Please note, however, that the dam levels change daily, therefore the water crisis is reassessed and new plans are put into action as the need arises. Watch www.vryheidherald.co.za for the most up-to-date information.

Ed’s note: Observing the way the water crisis has impacted on the community has given us the opportunity to appreciate the difference between having a position at the municipality, and having a purpose. We were very disappointed to hear that some municipal officials were not present for duty while others went on courses out of town this week, just before Vryheid’s water supply is to be cut off altogether. At this crucial point, the municipality should have had all hands on board to ensure access to water. While it became clear that some officials merely occupy a position at the municipality, we say, “thank you,” to Cllr Harry Heyns and all those at AbaQulusi who serve a purpose… To serve the community.

Follow this link to understand how the drought is affecting South Africa.