Crime continues to plague waterworks in KwaZulu-Natal.
This time 15 wards in uMhlathuze in northern KZN have been without water since January 1 after traces of diesel, which was the target of thieves, contaminated the Cubhu Water Works.
“The city has ordered a forensic investigation that will leave no stone unturned to uncover the culprits who broke in through cutting the fence in an attempt to steal diesel that is used by our new generators to pump water in case of power outages,” said City of uMhlathuze spokesperson Mdu Ncalane.
The 15 affected wards cover the whole of eSikhaleni township, eMpembeni (KwaDube), Port Dunford (KwaMkhwanazi North), Niwe, Vulindlela, Felixton and Dlangezwa areas.
“Since preliminary water sample testing found traces of diesel on raw water at Cubhu Lake Water Works, the city immediately advised community members not to consume water until all diesel has been flushed out, water supply system cleaned properly and all relevant water quality tests are conducted and concluded,” Ncalane said.
“The city then began to dispatch water tankers to all affected wards until [Tuesday] working with all ward councillors, ward committee members and local leadership to ensure that communities get clean water while the system is being rehabilitated.”
He said the city had managed to suck all traces of diesel that landed on the waterworks and flush out all the contaminated water.
“It is expected that clean water supply will be back to normal by the end of Friday.”
“The department of water and sanitation has been furnished with a comprehensive report, and it will conduct its own water quality checks today. The investigation will also ascertain the impact of water contamination on human life. To date, the city has had no major incident reported due to this incident,” Ncalane said.
The IFP is concerned that residents are without water in an area identified as a Covid-19 hotspot by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his last address to the nation.
“It is shocking that residents have nowhere else to turn, especially during our fight to stop the spread of Covid-19, which requires all South Africans to regularly wash their hands and to practise extra-precautionary sanitisation measures. Some residents have been seeking out alternative measures to keep their taps running by collecting water from a nearby area,” said IFP human settlements, water and sanitation spokesperson Xolani Ngwezi.
He called on water and sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu to urgently intervene and to ramp up efforts to assist the municipality “in ensuring that the residents’ constitutional right to clean drinking water is upheld and that the residents are provided with some form of temporary relief from this drought”.
“Many residents fear contracting the coronavirus, and many have already mourned the loss of their loved ones in this municipality. It is therefore imperative that the minister and her department act as swiftly as possible to prevent the unnecessary loss of life in Umhlathuze,” said Ngwezi.
Meanwhile taps continue to remain dry on the KZN south coast.
For a fourth consecutive year, “sabotage” of the already ailing water supply infrastructure is holding towns along the coastline, from Hibberdene to Harding, ransom.
The Ugu District Municipality claims not to know the identity of the saboteurs, while residents believe the obvious culprits to be the more than 100 municipal workers who were dismissed for participating in an illegal strike.
But the SA Municipal Workers Union claims corrupt municipal workers are colluding with contractors to share profits from tenders.
Even police have not found the “third force” that has been smashing water pipes, closing valves, draining reservoirs and setting alight pump stations, to leave hospitals, clinics, schools and homes without water for weeks on end. Municipal vehicles have been torched, electrical boxes destroyed and waterworks generators burnt.
More than 200 residents told Sunday Times Daily they were forced to buy bottled water to even wash dishes, use wet wipes to clean themselves and carry water from swimming pools to do laundry.
Some have put their houses on the market, while many regret the decision to retire at a quiet seaside town along the water-scarce coastline.
Despite being without water for most days, residents still receive unexplained water bills. Dates are often incorrect. and some are as high as R185,000 for just two days of water.
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