Ermelo residents fuming over water interruptions and electricity outages
Consequently, municipal pumps were out of commission and it became increasingly challenging for them to ensure optimum reservoir water levels.
In the past, you might have sung along to Elton John’s Candle in the Wind or perhaps danced to Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, however, Eskom and Msukaligwa Municipality have not given residents any reason to sing or dance.
Residents and business owners alike have had to deal with intermittent power outages and additionally, some have also had to bear the brunt of water interruptions.
A source within the municipality attributed some of the electrical outages to the extensive rainfall in the area.
The municipality’s inability to swiftly restore power was further hampered by Eskom’s implementing of load shedding.
Consequently, municipal pumps were out of commission and it became increasingly challenging for them to ensure optimum reservoir water levels.
According to information shared by an admin on a municipal complaints social-networking-group, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) informed him that a water pump, pumping raw water to the filter system, became faulty, which saw reservoirs’ water levels rapidly diminishing, thus prolonging water interruptions.
A statement on the municipality’s Facebook Page also indicated that Douglas Dam’s level rose above pumps and motors which caused the water section to seize raw water supply from the dam.
A request was issued to DWS to open the emergency pipelines.
This, according to them, however, relates to the dams and not the reservoirs.
Some people have reportedly been without water for more than a week.
Municipal water trucks have also been deployed to the afflicted areas.
WhatsApp and Telegram groups were also a flurry of activity with people hurling all kinds of vitriol at the municipality for their presumable incompetence.
Msukaligwa Municipal Manager, Ms Jabu Gladness Majola, said she understood the frustration and mistrust issues of residents, but that load shedding, unfortunately, affected the aged infrastructure.
This was in response to queries posed to her by an aggrieved member of one of the social groups.
Read the complete article in the next Highvelder.
