Work underway in bid to end region’s water crisis

A water supply crisis that has affected areas under Chris Hani district municipality’s (CHDM) management since Christmas is being addressed.

Chairwoman of the region’s business chamber, Netty Kok, said businesses had taken a knock due to supply problems.

“We run a nursery in the area and people no longer come and buy plants because they know there is no water – we can barely take care of our plants,” she said.

Department of health director of communication Siyanda Manana said water shortages had affected a hospital. “It was a challenge to sterilise equipment and wash hands after each patient without the running water.

“But residents brought water from their homes and we for the hospital laundry to be done at a nearby old age home.”

He said water supply returned to normal on Monday evening after the municipality intervened.

Middleburg Ratepayers’ Association secretary Don Watt-Pringle said problems started when the district municipality took over water supply management in July last year.

He said inadequate maintenance on water pumps and at boreholes was behind the problem. Ratepayers had not received water bills since the municipality took over.

Lulama Mashiya, the Middleburg and Cradock area manager for Inxuba Yethemba municipality, said water shortages had led to the supply problems. He said dam levels were low.

Mashiya said yesterday reservoirs would be closed on a once-off basis in a bid to allow dam levels to recover.

Water services authority manager for CHDM, Moses Shasha, told the Daily Dispatch that a meeting involving roleplayers took place on Monday evening to discuss the shortage. “We have contractors dealing with five non-operational boreholes,” he said.