The Lekwa Community Forum (LCF) has conducted an oversight visit to the Standerton Water Treatment Plant construction site amid the deepening water crisis affecting residents across Standerton.
In a statement, the Forum acknowledged and welcomed the Department of Water and Sanitation’s intervention to assist the municipality in restoring a clean and reliable water supply. However, it said the current intervention project at the plant is “causing more harm than good.”
According to the LCF, the planned water shutdown intended to allow contractors to install new raw water pipes was poorly communicated, badly coordinated and completely unmonitored.
Residents were advised to store enough water ahead of the shutdown, scheduled from 06:30 to 18:00. However, many households reportedly had no running water even before the shutdown began, leaving them unable to store any.
Even after 18:00, most residents were still without water. The local hospital was left without water. Schools were forced to send learners home.
No reliable provision of water tankers was made. There was no clear communication or emergency response plan in place.
The Forum is urging the Executive Mayor to implement immediate emergency interventions to support affected institutions and communities.
Project far from completion
During its oversight visit and engagements, the LCF discovered that the intervention project – scheduled to conclude on March 31 – is far from complete.
The forum warned that unless urgent representations are made to the National Treasury and the Department of Water and Sanitation to extend funding into the next financial year, the contractor may be forced to abandon the site prematurely. This, they cautioned, would leave the project vulnerable to theft, vandalism and further deterioration.
Key demands
The LCF demanded that the contractor remain on site until the project is fully completed and properly handed over. They want the transparent updates on operational breakdowns at the plant.
The guarantee of emergency water relief at all times to hospitals, clinics and schools was also part of the forum’s demand. LCF called for competent, qualified professionals, rather than politically connected individuals.
The Acting Municipal Manager must urgently ensure all reservoirs are cleaned, repaired and fitted with the necessary pumps and valves to enable effective water supply.
Questions over R20m
Water tank
The forum is also demanding answers regarding the long-promised R20m water tank project in Ext 2, Crossroads and Phalama, allegedly to be erected by Sasol.
According to the LCF, the project – intended to provide relief to communities that have endured up to 15 years without a consistent water supply – was supposed to be completed in 2025. The community is now calling for full disclosure on what happened to the commitment.
Call for proactive planning
The forum criticised the municipality for failing to procure additional spare pumps for storage. It said that when a pump breaks down, it must first be removed and transported to repairers, significantly delaying restoration of services.
Having spare pumps readily available would allow immediate installation and minimise downtime. The LCF believes the prolonged response times point to a lack of proactive planning and urgency in addressing recurring breakdowns at the water treatment plant.
“The water crisis in Lekwa has reached a breaking point. Water is no longer just a municipal service – it is a fundamental human right.
“Leadership must rise above incompetence and political patronage and urgently convene all relevant stakeholders to restore dignity to our people,” the statement read.
Residents, the Forum said, do not want to read about water – they want it flowing from their taps. Residents took part in a peaceful protest action on the bridge to Meyerville on Sunday in a demand for water.
