HIGHVELD – Residents are beginning to feel the effects of Rand Water’s throttling of the water supply to the Govan Mbeki municipal area.
Taps in Bethal, Secunda, Kinross, Evander, Leandra and eMbalenhle are running dry as the water pressure is being dramatically reduced.
Bethal’s water woes began in December and some residents had to endure living without this basic necessity for more than three weeks.
Although the water supply eventually returned to normal, the joy of it was short lived.
Residents were left high and dry again since the past weekend.
A group of about 130 disgruntled residents gathered at the caravan park at Bethal Dam on Saturday, 12 January to bath and fill up their water bottles.
According to Mr Hennie Rademeyer, the initial plan was to wade into the dam to “bath” as a public demonstration of the residents’ frustrations.
The caravan park is municipal property and security guards at the gate initially wanted to prevent all the vehicles from entering, but soon gave up.
The plan changed when the group heard a huge sewage spill is polluting the dam.
Plan B to take showers in the ablution blocks, also collapsed when the bathers discovered the drains were blocked and only cold water was available.
A few of the leaders in the group then took up their soap and towels for a scrub under the running water from a fire hydrant.
Others filled up their water containers at the hydrant.
Mr Rademeyer said the residents will stop paying for water and will form their own independent committee to tackle the municipal issues.
A few people were heard asking what the mayor’s address is so that they can go wash and do laundry at her house.
Ms Aranda Nel Buitendag from the Freedom Front Plus said that the party supplied the residents with water on Sunday.
Bethal CPF again helped residents by organising two bakkies with water bowsers to supply water to residents.
Ms Marilé Nieuwoudt of Bethal CPF said children were running after the bakkies to get water.
She estimated that about 10 000 liters of water were delivered on Sunday, 13 January to Bethal residents.
The CPF pumped the water from a bore hole of one of the residents. The bakkies worked from 12pm to 7pm to deliver water.
Ms Marietjie Fourie, DA Councillor in Bethal, informed residents on Friday 11 January to prepare themselves for a weekend without water.
She contacted several officials at the Govan Mbeki Municipality, as well as officials from Rand Water, to determine the cause of the water problems.
According to Ms Fourie, Govan Mbeki Municipality’s current water bill for December was R25-million.
The municipality has to pay the current bill plus R10-million of the arrears per month, but only paid R17-million.
The municipality owes Rand Water a total of R183-million.
The regional manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality told Ms Fourie on Saturday that the water problems were due to cable theft and water could not be pumped to the reservoir.
However, Ms Fourie later found out there was no water to pump into the reservoirs as there was no inflow of water from Rand Water.
An official from Rand Water admitted to Ms Fourie that the water supply was throttled and the water pressure is currently at only 60 per cent.
Municipal water trucks were seen over the weekend supplying water to residents.
Ms Fourie also invited residents to collect water from the bore hole at her house.
A few other residents also offered their bore holes’ water to residents.
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The municipality was meeting with officials from Rand Water on Monday, 14 January.
Residents were informed by Ms Fourie that the negotiations are not going well, because Rand Water is insisting that the municipality pays them an amount of R136-million, which according to Ms Fourie, is not possible for the municipality.
The Ridge Times contacted the Chief of Staff of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Benzi Soko, but did not receive comment at the time of going to press.
Mr Justice Mohale, spokesman of Rand Water, was also contacted for comment, but did not respond at the time of going to press.
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Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/130542/update-stolen-cables-not-reason-no-water-bethal/
