Questions are mounting over water safety
In the aftermath of the discovery of a man's body in the Khayalethu water reservoir on Sunday 26 November, many questions have been raised regarding the safety of drinking water in the town.
The body was discovered at about 16:00 by Knysna Municipality employees who were conducting routine checks of the reservoir and its systems. They immediately alerted authorities. In response, a team of police divers was dispatched to the scene to retrieve the body from the reservoir.
The body is yet to be identified by police, and an autopsy was conducted on Wednesday 29 November, according to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies. "The report will form part of the ongoing police investigation," Spies said. The outcome of the autopsy was not yet available at the time of going to print.
Shortly after the gruesome discovery was made, Knysna Municipality began flushing water out of the reservoir, whereafter it was cleaned, with these operations wrapping up on Tuesday. According to the municipality's communications team there will be no supply of water from the reservoir pending further investigation. "During this period, and as a precautionary measure, water trucks are deployed to guarantee a continuous water supply to all affected residents."
Backlash
Initial reports stated that the body was found in a dam, however it later came to light that it was in fact found in a water reservoir that houses potable water for various areas. eDameni, Dam-Se-Bos, Khayalethu, Nekkies, Oupad, Hlalani, Kalkol and 7deLaan are all fed with water from the reservoir, and there has been significant backlash from the community with many questions raised over the safety and security of the town's potable water supply.
"We don't know how long the body was in the reservoir for, it could have been in there for days," said Khayalethu resident Sfiso Mbatha. Mandlenkosi Ndlovu, who lives right next to the reservoir, shared similar concerns. "We've cooked with water with body parts in it. We've bathed with water with body parts in it, and we've drunk this water too. It is disgusting and there is neglect from the municipality," he said.
Mbatha and Ndlovu both pointed out that, while there is security on site 24 hours a day, it is not at all difficult to access the reservoir.
"The lid to the reservoir is not closed, there is not a lock on it, it is not secure and has been broken for some time. Anyone can access it if they want to. My wife's been sick for a few days now and this would definitely explain the cause," Ndlovu said.
"Anyone can come here and just put poison in the reservoir if they wanted to. It poses a serious risk of safety for the residents who get water from here," Mbatha said. The strong reaction to the news was not limited to Khayalethu residents, with numerous Facebook users expressing their disgust at the situation on KPH's Facebook page.
In response to an inquiry from
Knysna Municipality's communications team encouraged the community to share the responsibility of overseeing the town's infrastructure.
"Our facility is equipped with 24hour security. However, infrastructure protection is a shared responsibility. We encourage residents to take ownership of such facilities and collaborate with
the municipality in safeguarding our infrastructure."
With flushing and cleaning of the reservoir now complete, it still needs to be refilled. This process could take between five and 10 days, and during a time when Knysna Municipality is facing water shortages in various areas around town, it is undoubtedly an urgent matter.