GMM replaces water valves after 32 years
Sasol intends to stop supplying the Charl Cilliers community with water once the bulk pipeline project is complete and the municipality must start supplying them from this reservoir.
Large parts of eMbalenhle South were without water for three days in recent weeks because the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) was replacing six valves at the water reservoir in Ext 15.
Extensions 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 were affected by the water shutdown.
According to a municipal employee who wanted to remain anonymous, the valves were installed 32 years ago and never replaced.
The employee showed the newspaper a valve stamp that indicated it was installed in 1991.
He also alleged the rusted valves caused water throttling to Ext 15. The valves do not function properly any more.
“These valves failed to fill up the reservoir, and that is where the problem begins because it cannot supply water to the community,“ said the worker.
“Sasol intends to stop supplying the Charl Cilliers community with water once the bulk pipeline project is complete. The municipality will then be responsible for supplying water from this reservoir.
“If the reservoir doesn’t fill up with water, how will the water reach Charl Cilliers?” asked the employee.
The employee also said it was a good decision by Sasol and the municipality to install the six valves to prevent future crises.
The employee emphasised that the municipality must consider its water department an essential service because it is a human rights violation if a community does not have water for hours or days.
Residents said the municipality never notified them of a water shutdown or the replacement of the valves. They only realised there was a water problem when their taps ran dry.
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The reservoir had its share of controversies in the past, such as when the Ext 15 residents were shocked to find red worms floating in their tap water.
This is also not the first time the same reservoir was disconnected. It happened after residents complained that the water was contaminated with algae and worms in 2018.
Donald Green, the acting communication manager of the municipality, said the GMM apologised to residents who experienced water shortages in the past few days. Green said this was because of the installation of the valves to improve the water supply.
He said water trucks were on site to supply water to affected areas during the installation. According to Green, the valves have been installed and residents are getting water.
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The mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, said during a recent media briefing about the water problems in the municipality that GMM was installing the six valves to prepare the reservoir to be ready to supply both communities of eMbalenhle Extension 15 and Charl Cilliers.
Zuma said the recent municipal challenge is vandalism to the valves that were installed because the bolts and nuts were loosened.
“We have a new vandalism pandemic which hampers providing good services to our community. I want to know who those vandals are and their intentions.
“We are appealing to the community to work with law enforcement agencies to apprehend them,” said Zuma.
Zuma also said Sasol would not stop supplying the Charl Cilliers community with water until the municipality completes the Extension 15 reservoir project.
