Many people living in Ladysmith are furious at being left without water over the Christmas period.
Aloe Park and other areas in Ladysmith have been experiencing water shortages on a daily basis, and people wanted to know why!
“It was extremely difficult without water, as we had family visiting from out of town. We were suffering while uThukela were enjoying their holiday,” said one furious resident.
“I hope these water shortages end, or else uThukela need to give us answers,” added the resident.
Residents phoned uThukela to ask them what was going on with the water situation and they were outraged when they received no feedback. People say they pay their water accounts every month and expect to have clean water in their homes.
Also read: People furious about dirty water coming out of taps and low pressure in Ladysmith
“What is the use of paying for water when we are stranded without this precious resource for hours and no water tankers are dispatched to help us? Then, when the water comes back on, it is dirty and undrinkable,” fumed another resident.
Commenting on the matter, uThukela say that the water interruptions experienced by Ladysmith residents over the festive season were due to the following problems. The recent storms and heavy rain brought large amounts of silt into the Tugela River.
uThukela add that the Ezakheni Bulk Water Plant is a water treatment plant and not a silt treatment plant. The high silt levels in the water damage the pumps and affect the treatment process, as the filters and even the clarifiers are filled up with sand.
This slows down the treatment process drastically, which causes the output of water in the system to be less, which in turn causes the interruptions.
The storms also damaged the electrical components, which impacts on the operation of the water plant. The electrical components have been fixed by uThukela.
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