Citrus firm comes to aid of ‘dry’ township

ONE of the Sundays River Valley’s biggest employers has committed to helping residents of the embattled municipality get water from taps that have run dry for the past five years.

Sun Citrus Packers in Kirkwood will donate tanks to serve as reservoirs to be connected to the municipal pipelines to supply Moses Mabhida township in Kirkwood.

Civic group Sanco said it approached Sun Citrus Packers owner Sonja Brummer – whose company donated 100 rain water tanks three years ago for Aqua Park, Bergsig and Moses Mabhida townships – to provide even bigger reservoir tanks for Moses Mabhida.

For the past five years the residents were dependent on water brought by municipal trucks while others opted to fetch water from nearby townships.

The municipality said the water shortages were as a result of people stealing water through illegal connections, tampering with meters and a faulty water system.

Municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo said the Department of Water Affairs had appointed the Amatola Water Board to investigate the water supply problems in Kirkwood and to refurbish the water system. Funding would be given by the department for this project.

Yesterday, Brummer said her company donated four 10 000litre tanks which would be installed in strategic areas of Moses Mabhida township.

“This means they will be able to get 40 000 litres of water daily from the municipality. This will be a temporary solution to this problem while the municipality fixes the issues regarding water supply there.”

She said they had been talking to Sanco about problems faced by the community and water was a major concern.

Sanco executive member Nzaliseko Screech said yesterday they met Brummer and she suggested connecting rain water tanks to the water line of the municipality to supply water to the township.

“We had a meeting with the municipality yesterday [Tuesday]. Although they were hesitant . . . they agreed. We will now install the tanks with the help of the unemployed youth in our area,” he said.

Ngoqo said the municipality welcomed the idea but worried about vandalism of the main municipal pipeline.