Free State communities lament worsening water issues

Residents in the Eastern parts of the Free State have questioned the government on measures they should take, for them to have access to basic services such as water.

They feel that after decades of experiencing inadequate water supply in the QwaQwa and Harrismith areas, the issue is becoming worse.

Every other day, these residents have to fight for access to the water supply. When a chance presents itself for them to receive water, the quality of the trucks is said to be unhygienic. They’ve been pleading with the government for years, however, their demands seem to fall on deaf ears.

Resident says, “We’re really struggling without water and I no longer have the ability to go and fetch water from the water tank, whenever it gets here. I don’t have the strength to carry a bucket filled with water.”

“It’s now been a long time since we haven’t received water and some of us are business owners of car wash and tekkie wash and we’re unable to get water.”

The municipality’s water entity refutes claims that the water quality is unclean.

Water woes continue in Kestell, Free State:

Maluti-A-Phofung Water’s Acting Operations manager Tello Mphuthi says, “In terms of water quality within Maluti-a-Phofung for now, we’re confident that our water quality it’s still within the limit. In hourly, two hourly, everyday from the treatment plant, we’re doing a control test, when you’re pumping water outside the treatment works, we’re sure that it’s within the limit, for the people that are complaining outside there, I don’t think it’s caused by the water quality, I don’t think so.”

Some residents have opted to travel a long distance to fetch water from a broken valve in an open field. While they also do some laundry where animals graze.

Residents have been requested to refrain from using the broken valve as a water source.

Maluti-A-Phofung Water spokesperson Tebogo Kwakwa, “We kindly request the residents of Tshiame B, not to use that valve as it’s not safe and as map water, we’re sending water trucks each and everyday at Khalanyoni, for the residents to get water. For Tshiame we’re now only using one pump, we’ve procured 2 pumps through Bloemwater so that we can feed Tshiame with enough water and for now, there’s a long-term plan, for pipe installation from Sterkfontein to Tshiame residents.”

Although the ailing municipality hasn’t had water coming from taps for a lengthy period, the water board blames load shedding, as one of the reasons that there are water shortages, stating the power cuts are affecting the flow of water in some areas.

Residents of Botshabelo in the Free State demand access to clean water