The water crisis in Matjhabeng, and especially Riebeeckstad, has now been referred to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in the Free State as a matter of urgency.
Since December 2022 various areas of Matjhabeng have been struggling to get water due to reservoirs not properly filling up.
The main water pump used by Bloemwater to supply Matjhabeng is not fully functional, which results in Bloemwater having to used smaller pumps to supply the municipality with water.
“They do not have the capacity to fill reservoirs,” says George Michalakis, member of parliament and the DA permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
This reduced system results in the reservoir levels only reaching a maximum of 23% capacity.
“To boost reservoir levels, water shedding has been implemented every evening between 18:00 and 06:00 in certain areas in Matjhabeng.
“However, once the valves are opened in the areas where water shedding is implemented, levels drop to 15% at around 09:00 due to a higher demand in the early mornings. These levels drop further throughout the day and reach a low of 0 – 3 % at around 15:00.
“Areas like Riebeeckstad, which are on the high levels of the reservoir, get little to no water. The water shedding is not a sustainable solution to the water crisis.”
When valves are opened, water still flows to the lower level areas and this then leaves the high topography with no water.
Michalakis says the problem requires Bloemwater to repair their three KSB main pumps to Matjhabeng with at least two pumps working, while one is on standby should the others fail.
“At the moment, all three pumps are not functional. Bloemwater has indicated that they are busy trying to repair one KSB, but no restoration time has been given, much to the frustration of residents. Urgent intervention is needed to ensure residents’ constitutional rights do not continue to be violated,” he says.
Michalakis says Cogta must urgently intervene to ensure that load shedding is suspended to all areas where the reservoirs are located.
“This will ensure the pumps work continuously to raise the water levels. The Provincial Treasury must assists with the necessary funding to effect the repairs of the pumps,” he says.
Michalakis has also requested that Cogta assists with investigations into all water pipelines for leaks, and that they then assist Matjhabeng with the repair of such infrastructure to prevent the further unnecessary loss of water.
