Frustrated Palm Spring residents feel brunt as taps run dry
Chisom Jenniffer Okoye and Sanele Gumada
Desperate residents of Emfuleni were taken by surprise by water cuts imposed by Rand Water and, for the past five days, have been struggling, with many of them risking their health by collecting water from burst pipes in the area.
Thapelo Modika, 35, one of those who sources water from these pipes, says: “We have not had water for three months. We used to get water at Orange Farm before we knew that we can access it through a pipe.”
In some places, trucks bring water daily to residents, but because there are only three of these vehicles, water is still scarce.
A worker at the Dr Helga Khun Clinic, Rebecca Nhlapho, 54, says, however, that the water from the trucks “will not be enough because we use water for everything from cooking to cleaning and bathing”.
“The clinic is also affected by the water crisis as many residents come to the clinic hoping to use its water. Residents say the clinic has not had water and this has affected them because sanitation is important for their health.”
Palm Spring resident Tryphina Tshabalala, 54, is also taking strain. She says
Water comes and goes. We are very disappointed because water is a very important thing.
Tryphina Tshabalala Palm Spring resident
they have been warned not to drink the water from the pipe but many residents do so anyway.
The Citizen team followed Tshabalala to her house to see how the water crisis affected her.
Tshabalala says that living alone has been hard for her because getting water has been a struggle.
“My boys no longer live with me and they used to fetch water for me at Orange Farm.
“I cannot go there because it is far from where I live,” she said.
Tshabalala says she started having water problems on Friday.
“Water comes and goes,” she said.
“We are very disappointed because water is a very important thing and when it does come back, we only receive small droplets of water”.