A dripping basin tap File Picture
Residents of Koelwaters housing complex and surrounding Trust communities in Mtwalume on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast have been without water for over three weeks, with dire consequences for the community, particularly the elderly and families with young children.
The Ugu District Municipality yesterday said the matter was being attended to with water restoration expected soon.
Sharon Peetz, a representative of the residents of Koelwaters and the surrounding Trust Communities, said residents at the complex have been without water for more than three weeks.
In addition, Peetz said the neighbouring Trust communities have been worse off, having not had water for over seven weeks.
She said residents have been calling Ugu District Municipality several times a day since November 16 and receive the same response that the matter has been escalated.
“Initially, Ugu Water informed residents that plumbers were being dispatched. Days turned into weeks, with no action taken. The narrative then shifted: the problem, they claimed, was an electrical fault at the pump station, supposedly Eskom’s responsibility,” said Peetz.
According to Peetz, some residents have even received premature messages stating that logged faults had been “resolved.”
“On Thursday, 5 December, reports suggested that Eskom was on site addressing the power issue. However, a visit by a Koelwaters resident the next day confirmed there was still no power at the pump station,” she said.
She said this was compounded by the municipality’s inability to dispatch adequate water tankers.
“The impact on the community is devastating. Children, finishing their year-end exams, have been unable to bathe or wash their school uniforms. Mothers with newborn babies have struggled to meet their families’ most basic needs. Elderly and infirm residents, many of whom require constant care, have been left vulnerable and desperate,” said Peetz.
Koelwaters has over 104 homes, which are mostly owned by senior citizens.
Agnes Warneke, a 74-year-old resident of Koelwaters, emphasised the gravity of the situation.
“We have a private sewerage system that cannot operate without water. When there is no water, the system becomes blocked, which is not only a financial burden but also a serious health risk,” she said.
Another resident, Sue Paterson, 78, shared the struggles faced by elderly members of the community.
“It is impossible to do anything without water. We are really battling, and with my husband being on crutches, it has made things even worse. The majority of people here are pensioners and single women.”
Jeanette van Niekerk, a single woman living on a SASSA grant, echoed the sentiment.
“It is difficult to manage without water. The cost of fuel to go to the nearest town to buy drinking water is too much, and carrying heavy water containers is a struggle. Many of us in the complex are facing the same problem.”
Peetz said the situation is particularly dire for young families. She said one mother, who recently gave birth, has been unable to bathe her newborn, wash clothes, or sterilise bottles for over six weeks and relied on a neighbour’s JoJo tank for water until a week ago.
Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, Ugu District Municipality said Eskom's extended power interruption from Mthwalume WPS disrupted Koelwater Reservoir operations.
The municipality said following the identification of the fault on Friday, Eskom expedited repairs on Sunday, achieving successful power restoration Sunday night.
This was confirmed by Eskom officials and the Ugu operations team on Monday morning.
“The reservoir refilling process has begun, but a pipeline break near House Number 14 within Koelwater premises is delaying water release. Plumbers are on-site, with repairs expected to conclude within 3 hours,” said the municipality.
According to Ugu, emergency water relief via tankers was provided in coordination with the councillor.
The municipality noted that the reservoir outlet remains closed during repairs.
Eskom was approached for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.
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