Amathole District Municipality (ADM) spent more than R90-million trucking water to its towns and villages last year.
The ADM water supply crisis, which has gripped the mostly rural authority, has been deepened by the current drought, which has resulted in the municipality spending over R1.5-million a day trucking water to the worst-hit towns.
The amounts are contained in a council agenda for last August.
In Mnquma municipality alone, which is the district’s worst area, ADM spends about R600000 a day, carting the resource to Butterwoth, Centane and Ngqamakhwe.
Qwaninga River, which supplies Mnquma, has completely dried up, while another dam, Xilinxa, is almost dry, with water levels at 13%.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, ADM spokesman Siyabulela Makunga said trucking in the resource was costly business.
“The demand for water continues to escalate while the cost of ensuring the provision of water as a basic service rockets on a daily basis,” Makunga said.
Makunga said Mnquma alone has spent about 40% of the funds reserved for buying water.
“Owing to the current drought, Mnquma has essentially used 40% of the amount allocated for carting water to areas where we have water challenges,” he said.
Makunga said the municipality pays 38c for a litre of water to be carted into the villages and at an instance they buy 10000 litres a day for its 22 towns, about 500 villages and 213763 households.
The Dispatch reported last month that such a severe drought was last experienced more than 30 years ago.
In 15 villages under ADM, residents complained of a drought where cattle had died as dams had run dry in recent months.
Villagers said they had watched hopelessly as their livestock – which in most cases was their only source of income – died.
Eastern Cape land reform and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said the government would continue assisting farmers in drought-hit areas.
Makunga appealed to residents to use water sparingly.
“A caution is made to communities to start appreciating that this essential service comes at a huge expense to taxpayers,” he said. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
Call to use water sparingly in crisis
The ADM water supply crisis, which has gripped the mostly rural authority, has been deepened by the current drought, which has resulted in the municipality spending over R1.5-million a day trucking water to the worst-hit towns.
The amounts are contained in a council agenda for last August.
In Mnquma municipality alone, which is the district’s worst area, ADM spends about R600000 a day, carting the resource to Butterwoth, Centane and Ngqamakhwe.
Qwaninga River, which supplies Mnquma, has completely dried up, while another dam, Xilinxa, is almost dry, with water levels at 13%.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, ADM spokesman Siyabulela Makunga said trucking in the resource was costly business.
“The demand for water continues to escalate while the cost of ensuring the provision of water as a basic service rockets on a daily basis,” Makunga said.
Makunga said Mnquma alone has spent about 40% of the funds reserved for buying water.
“Owing to the current drought, Mnquma has essentially used 40% of the amount allocated for carting water to areas where we have water challenges,” he said.
Makunga said the municipality pays 38c for a litre of water to be carted into the villages and at an instance they buy 10000 litres a day for its 22 towns, about 500 villages and 213763 households.
The Dispatch reported last month that such a severe drought was last experienced more than 30 years ago.
In 15 villages under ADM, residents complained of a drought where cattle had died as dams had run dry in recent months.
Villagers said they had watched hopelessly as their livestock – which in most cases was their only source of income – died.
Eastern Cape land reform and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said the government would continue assisting farmers in drought-hit areas.
Makunga appealed to residents to use water sparingly.
“A caution is made to communities to start appreciating that this essential service comes at a huge expense to taxpayers,” he said. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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