Water problem in Bronkhorstspruit continues to frustrate residents despite some efforts made by the City of Tshwane to repair broken pumps at a local water treatment plant
Many residents took to social media to vent out their anger about the situation after they were told by ward councillor Kgaugelo Phiri that the reason they “have a water crisis during Xmas” could also be attributed to lack of funding for infrastructure maintenance.
Last week, this publication reported that residents bore the brunt of water shortages owing to a broken water treatment plant affected negatively by the hyacinths at Bronkhorstspruit Dam.
The affected areas include Bronkhorstspruit, Cultural Park, Ekandustria, Ekangala, Rethabiseng, Riamarpark and Zithobeni.
Phiri said at the time that the invasive plants from the Bronkhorstspruit Dam were destroying the pumps at the abstraction point.
Last week the Department of Water and Sanitation had deployed a workforce to clean the hyacinths before the plant could be repaired.
On Tuesday, Phiri informed residents that the valve to the reservoirs supplying water to Bronkhorstspruit would now be opened.
“It was closed to let water into the reservoir supplying Ekangala and Ekandustria with water,”he said.
He said the problem was because two out of the five high lift pumps that were operational can’t pump enough water to all the reservoirs.
“Let's call it water shedding. But our main problem is lack of funding for maintenance from the DA administration,”Phiri said.
In reaction to the news, some residents called for intervention from the national government before things could worsen.
They complained that they have been provided dirty water for a long time.
One of them, Bhutitembo Isaac said: “Our government must come closer to the issue of water in Bronkhorstspruit. We have been supplied with dirty water for a long time (and) now we are getting bad service of water (provision).”
The resident believed that the problem could soon look like the water crisis facing people in Hammanskraal if left unattended.
“We will suffer without water and drink dirty water ending up with cholera illness. Rand Water and the Minister of Water and Sanitation should start to be on the ground about this matter for our region,”he said.
The City of Tshwane last week acknowledged that the water treatment plant was experiencing challenges.
“We are removing hyacinth in order to increase pumping. There’s a leak on the raw water line. As soon as the hyacinth is removed we will be able to fix the leak. Water supply to Region 7 areas is affected,” the City said.
Pretoria News