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File photo: The City of Tshwane deployed a water tanker to assist residents experiencing water shortages in their area.
Water utility, Lepelle Northern Water, in Limpopo has attributed the persistent water shortages in Polokwane and surrounding areas to major repairs at two of its biggest water plants. The water entity says the repairs at the Ebenezer and Olifantspoort water plants cost more than R18,5 billion and are scheduled to be completed in January 2026.
The water utility’s Spokesperson Joe Makhafola says Lepelle Northern Water has been involved in the upgrade of the old, dilapidated infrastructure which has been in existence since 1970s.
“The project is estimated to cost about R18 billion and is meant to refurbish the old pipes that have been bursting. We have been using a lot of water at a great cost to the company. So far, we are anticipating completing the Olifantspoort and Ebenezer projects by December. Hopefully, things will go well because we have been working together with city of Polokwane.”
Meanwhile, some businesses in Polokwane have expressed frustrations about the water cuts saying the come with high financial costs for them.
“This is a very concerning issue, because we work here in town and we spend almost R700 a day to buy water. One bucket costs R25 and we use 30 of those buckets so that we can cook and wash dishes. We can’t even go to the toilets because there is no water. We don’t have water, and we can’t even work properly. We use water to cook, wash dishes and give our customers to wash their hands after cooking. We need water,” says one of the business owners.
VIDEO | Lepelle Northern Water projects near completion
