Filthy water fuels fury in Doornpoort and Sinoville
The water is fishy, has a chemical smell, and is undrinkable. Residents say it is unfair that they must pay for a service which the metro simply cannot deliver.
Residents in Doornpoort, Montana and Sinoville are raising their voices in anger and frustration as smelly, foul-tasting, and discoloured water continues to flow from their taps, despite months of complaints, rising health concerns, and mounting living costs.
For many households, the situation has become unbearable.
Some residents describe the water as fishy with a chemical smell, and undrinkable, while others say there are days when they have no water at all or so little pressure that they cannot flush toilets or take a proper shower.
“We are paying expensive money for services that are not supplied. The City of Tshwane is blatantly infringing on our human rights. I have the right to access clean water,” said resident Trevor Henn.
According to Henn, the problem has persisted for several months.
Henn said at one point, the metro drained the local reservoir after black, brown, and even metallic shaving-contaminated water ran from taps.
“Officials claimed to have scrubbed the reservoir, and for a brief period, water quality appeared to improve. But the relief didn’t last long.
“Even when it was ‘clean’, it always had a chemical smell and a bad taste. Now, the smell is fishy, like dam water. It’s awful.”
Due to health fears, Henn said their family no longer consume municipal water at all and now spends around R500 monthly on bottled water from a local supplier.
He said even while showering, the unpleasant odour lingers.
“Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy all the water we need, so we are forced by an incompetent administration to use contaminated water. It’s not fair, the metro is charging me for a service they simply cannot deliver.”
In Roosmaryn Complex, which houses several elderly and ill residents, the situation is even more dire.
A Doornpoort resident, André Brits, told Rekord that since July 20, water pressure has been so low that residents cannot bathe, cook, or flush toilets properly.
“This is a crisis. You cannot rely on tap water at all. Receiving a water bill is an insult. This feels like corruption or a syndicate at play,” he said.
He said the experience has left many in the community beyond angry.
“Frustrated, ignored, angry, that’s an understatement. We are fed up with this lack of service delivery. Tshwane must just do its job.”
Residents said their complaints are not being taken seriously, and the metro responds only with generic statements that the water is clean and that systems have been flushed.
“There’s no individual feedback. They refuse to take responsibility and instead blame residents for complaining,” said Henn.
Ward councillor Lenise Breytenbach confirmed that the matter was reported to the metro in 2024.
“I have logged multiple complaints and escalated the issue numerous times. This is not a new problem. We have raised it with the relevant departments repeatedly, but we were met with either silence or inadequate, short-term interventions.”
Breytenbach said she is extremely concerned about the impact on residents, particularly the vulnerable and elderly.
“It’s disgraceful that people are spending hundreds of rands every month just to access clean drinking water, while still being charged for water they can’t use.”
Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the municipality is investigating the reports of smelly and discoloured water at the Montana Reservoir, which is supplied by the Roodeplaat Water Treatment Works.
Bokaba said the metro’s technical team is working to determine the cause of the odour to restore the quality of the water supplied to the reservoir.
“An alternative supply through Rand Water’s back-up system has been implemented to ensure safe and consistent provision of potable water to the affected areas.
“Customers will be updated as soon as the cause has been determined and corrective action has been confirmed,” said Bokaba.
He said the metro apologises for this unforeseen disruption of an essential service and pleads for customers’ patience and understanding during this period.
Residents who are supplied through Rand Water’s back-up system are encouraged to use water sparingly during this time by practising water-saving tips.
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