Trucks break drought in Sekhukhune district

Residents in the Elias Motsoaledi municipality in Groblersdal now have clean water after five trucks were received from Lepelle Northern Water.

The residents have been fetching water from rivers and fountains for more than nine years, after the district’s only source of water ran dry.

Communities in Dennilton, the Philadelphia hospital and agricultural schemes around Moutse, competed for dirty water with wild animals in rivers and wells.

Some communities had to boil their water before use because it contained algae and bilharzia.

In many cases, the national department of water and sanitation and the Sekhukhune district municipality only managed to provide temporary relief to the affected communities in an endeavour to combat the spread of coronavirus.

This included provision of water through water tankers and drilling of boreholes.

But vandalism and theft of borehole equipment exacerbated the situation.

Sekhukhune district municipality’s executive mayor Keamotseng Stanley Ramaila said yesterday: “It is always our duty to make sure that our people drink clean, running water for their day-to-day household needs.

“We have tried everything we could to make sure those living in high-lying areas also have clean water during and after lockdown.

“We are happy to announce to you that our concerted effort to provide our communities with water is finally paying off amid the provision of these brand new trucks.”

Ramaila said the municipality was expecting 20 trucks but that only five of them were received by the municipality.

The remaining 15 trucks were expected to be delivered by mid-August.

The trucks, according to Ramaila, were procured by the Lepelle Northern Water, an implementing agent of the Moutse Drought Relief Project.

He said by noon on Friday, a total of 109 boreholes had been identified for resuscitation as part of drought relief in the Moutse area and that, to date, hydrological surveys had been done on at least 19 boreholes.

Ramaila added that more such surveys would be undertaken.

“Once hydrological results provide a clean bill of health, all the boreholes shall be capacitated and supply water through the existing reticulation infrastructure in Moutse.

“We’re surely making progress ... our concerted efforts are equally put on the completion of the Moutse Bulk Water Project, which will address the totality of water issues in the area.

“The five new trucks started delivering water from Friday last week.”