The Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, says it’s finalising the last installation work on its bulk supply pipe line.
The municipality cut off water supply to residents on Thursday night.
The water cut was to allow time for the replacement of air valves and to repair 13-leaks around the city.
Sol Plaatje Municipality has faced problems of water leakages due burst pipes for years now. The municipality says that the Kimberley water infrastructure is aging, hence the city faces constant water cuts.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Sello Matsie, says water supply will be restored on Sunday, but will start at a slow pace.
“The water will start streaming in but at a lower pace. And we really enquiring the community must exercise some patience. The alternative means of Jojo and water tankers is continuing though its a bit of pressure on ourselves when it come to supplying all areas all at once with this alternative of supplying water. But we are hopeful that by today we would able to have completed the entire operation,” says Matsie.
Some residents in Galeshewe Township are happy that the announcement of water shutdown was made on time.
They say the Sol Plaatje Municipality water tankers were provided.
“Just want to say to them thank you for preparing us for this water shutdown. And I just hope everything that you did will go well and that we will have no water interruption“, says Galeshewe resident, Brian Banga.
Northern Cape Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) CEO, Sharon Steyn, says it’s difficult not to have water, but this time they were prepared for the shutdown.
“They have been very open. We got enough notifications regarding the shutdown. They have been keeping us up to date on a regular basis almost 2, 3 messages a day. We all understand that it is very difficult not to have water, but if you are prepared and you can do what you can and everybody helps each other. Then we have to accept the fact that it had to be done, it was s necessity it had to be done. ”
