Govan Mbeki Municipality appoints contractor to fix water reservoir in eMbalenhle

The Govan Mbeki Municipality has officially appointed a contractor to repair the damaged floating roof of the Ext 15 water reservoir in eMbalenhle.

The announcement was made by the MMC for Civil Engineering, Vusumuzi Mbokazi, during a community meeting held at Maphala Gulube Primary School on April 10.

This development follows a municipal notice issued in February, alerting residents to a water supply interruption due to contamination linked to the damaged floating roof.

At the time, the municipality assured the public it was seeking a qualified service provider to replace the faulty structure. In the interim, water tankers were deployed to supply the affected areas, and residents were urged to collect water responsibly.

The Ext 15 reservoir has a history of water quality concerns. In 2019, the municipality disconnected the reservoir after residents reported worms and algae in their tap water.

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Overlooked Colliery later refurbished the reservoir as part of its social investment initiative and handed it back to the municipality.

Despite these efforts, residents claim the water supply has seen little improvement. During the recent meeting, community members pressed for a concrete timeline on when repair work would begin.

Mbokazi explained that the contractor must first secure the specialized material required for the floating roof – a material not manufactured locally and therefore subject to import delays.

“The appointed service provider needs to first acquire the material to begin work. Unfortunately, no company in the country produces the required components.

“As the municipality, we’ve fulfilled our promise by appointing a contractor to ensure the reservoir is fixed so our community can have a stable water supply,” said Mbokazi.

Despite this assurance, residents expressed dissatisfaction, citing ongoing water shortages and repeated service interruptions.

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“As a community, we want a specific date for when the contractor will start fixing the reservoir. It seems like our water crisis isn’t being taken seriously.

“Since this reservoir was built, it has never supplied us with water consistently. Ext 15, 14, and 16 are constantly struggling. Why can’t we be supplied directly from the Adullam reservoir like other areas.

“We even suspect this reservoir has become a cash cow for officials and politicians,” said a resident.

The appointed contractor informed the community that while awaiting the shipment of the required materials, the company would begin preliminary work by draining the reservoir in preparation for the roof replacement.

The municipality has allocated R4.5m for the refurbishment of the reservoir’s floating roof and an additional R1m for the pressure management of the reservoir’s bulk water line.