4/2020
By Staff Reporter
The Sol Plaatje Municipality has completed emergency repairs on the 1200mm, 965mm and 600mm pipes in Roodepan and at the Newton Reservoir over the weekend.
The repairs, which required water interruptions throughout the city of Kimberley, had already created panic, as some taps ran dry as early as on Thursday night until the early hours of Saturday. Prior to the interruption, residents were warned to stock up enough water.
Municipal spokesperson Sello Matsie explained that it was necessary to suspend water supply while fixing the pipes.
The repairs were due to water loss caused by leaking pipes, which has also affected the Newton Reservoir’s levels. According to Matsie, other reasons linked to the leaks are stray electrical current generated by passing railway trains over the pipes.
By lunchtime on Saturday, most supermarkets and outlets that sell water in bulk had run out of bottled water..
By late Saturday evening, there were endless queues of thirsty residents with empty buckets at jojo tanks, parks and graveyards . The municipality provided jojo tanks but they were not enough and others were damaged. The scorching temperatures ranged between a maximum of 38 and 39 degrees C on Friday and Saturday.
There were concerns from residents living in informal settlements that some homeowners from the formal settlement areas went to them to collect water in bulk with their cars.
One resident indicated that they had stocked up adequate water. However, several family members had experienced stomach problems due to the hot weather. Their water was depleted quicker than they had anticipated.
Another resident Setshego Louw said she was out of town and thus did not have time to stock up water. “On Sunday morning, when we arrived home, our water pressure was already low and we only managed to fill a 20 litre container” said Louw.
Thoko Riet from Sol Plaatje Municipality said the lower-lying areas started getting water earlier, depending on their location. The higher lying areas would receive water last,” she explained. She admitted to delays experienced but indicated that work was completed successfully.
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