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Residents filling up water bottles.
Water supply challenges remain a concern for residents in Swartruggens in the North West.
While the local dam has exceeded full capacity, residents say many higher-lying properties struggle to access water due to faulty and non-maintained water infrastructure, including the local water pump.
The community says the newly built water reservoir remains a white elephant while the old smaller reservoir is unable to meet the growing water demand.
The Swartruggens Dam is full and currently overflowing, but residents like Dr Graham Cloete says they continue to struggle with water.
“The problem with Swartruggens is that we are really just on the one sole water source which is the Elands River which is running well at the moment and the dam is a bit small for the community. So, as with climate change we get some years more rain and less rain. At the moment we’ve got a lot of water passing our town. So, the other problem is because of the high lying areas the water gets pumped behind here from the pump up to the high area, it must take the bottom water out here so these people are having chronic water shortage even is the dam is full.”
This has affected local businesses and led to many people relocating from the town.
Dr Lydia Moeng says it is difficult for them to make a living.
“We cannot do business; many people are leaving. We have requested for assistance from the local municipality; no one listens to us.”
According to Thabo Jacobs, the mayor of the Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality, the problem emanates from one of its broken pumps.
“The main problem there is that our gusher pump, which is located to the N4 has been experiencing persistent breakdowns. We have since dispatched a team can go and address that issue. We have been working hand in hand with some of the community members of the Swartruggens area. Also to clarify that there is no such a thing that we are deliberately using the water tanks. The water tanks are used as the last resort can intervene because though we are having challenges. We cannot have a situation whereby we are not supplying people with water.”
While dams in the Kgetleng Valley are 100% full, excessive runoff is lost and flows to the Mozambique coast. – Reporting by Thabang Morutloa
