Despite the abundance of rain that Vryheid has received from January, the community is literally left with dry taps. Residents are turning to Facebook and several WhatsApp groups to voice their frustration and anger about the water outages that have been ongoing for almost two weeks.
Parts of Vryheid will have water when other parts are without, and vice versa, and this situation carries on and on. Several water leaks from pipes around town have been reported by residents.

Local municipal workers have been working around the clock to try and restore the water supply, only to be confronted by more and more issues that deter them from opening the reservoir.
Ward 8 Councillor Elaine Rodway has been working closely with municipal management on the matter and had the following to say:
“The recent water debacle that saw parts of town without this vital resource for more than a week – nearly two in some parts of Vryheid – has brought to light several challenges that must be overcome if we are to have any future hope for reliable basic services in our town. The challenge of ageing infrastructure is nothing new. It has been well-known for a long time that most of our water infrastructure has far exceeded its shelf life and is on the verge of imminent collapse. While that may sound like an excuse, it is in fact an unfortunate reality and one that must be dealt with sooner rather than later to avoid certain catastrophe. Logic dictates that this is obviously an inherited dilemma handed down by previous administrations. I am, however, exceedingly hopeful that the current administration will be the one to step up to the proverbial plate and implement the necessary solution to this long-standing problem. There is no ‘quick fix’ and there are financial constraints, but there is no other option than to upgrade the infrastructure. Our water woes are further compounded by the alarming lack of resources and equipment available to attend to faults and maintenance. Yellow plant equipment is an absolute necessity in almost every aspect of fulfilling the Technical Services mandate to the residents of AbaQulusi, not just Vryheid. AbaQulusi extends far beyond the boundaries of Vryheid and currently consists of 23 wards. Not only is there not enough yellow plant equipment to adequately and efficiently service 23 wards, but this equipment must also be shared by the different departments. Technical Services is at the core of basic services, but without the right tools, they cannot deliver. Until action is taken to resolve this issue, we are going to keep having instances where the lack of equipment is standing in the way of attending to faults within a reasonable time.
“Klipfontein Water Treatment Works requires a back-up power supply as well.
“While I understand the challenges faced by the municipality, as the councillor of Ward 8, I will not accept that constant disruptions of basic services be allowed to continue. Now is the time for facing these challenges head on and focusing on building a foundation of reliable basic services as our first priority. We cannot prosper, as a town, without basic services.”

ALSO READ: Water Crisis Committee to march on Dundee’s Princess Magogo building

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.