TotT readers reveal ongoing water tank frustrations in their areas

After several complaints about the communal water tanks supplied by Ndlambe Municipality being empty, TotT wanted to hear from the broader community.

Our Facebook question was: From your experience, do the communal water tanks placed around Ndlambe have water in your area?

Dominique Hechter Pattie

said 99.7% of the time, the communal water tanks in her area were empty.

Ginny Rogers said: “So much for the promise that the DA would monitor these tanks on a daily basis and they are always empty.”

Lynne du Plessis asked: “Who in this town do we trust with our future ... not feeling confident right now?”

Colleen Denniss said: “Unfortunately I think most people in this town are actually buying water to fill their tanks as these tanks around town are unreliable and the fact that you are restricted as to how much you take.”

Marelise van den Bergh

said in her area the communal water tank did get filled up, but by the next evening it was already empty.

Athi Stimela said the community in her area had gone three days without water.

Ryan Owsley

highlighted the difficulties faced by his employees.

“My staff bring containers to work every day to take water home. They say the tanks are never filled and if they are, then they get emptied within a few hours from filling while we are at work,” he said.

Owsley said the filling of the tanks was not done or monitored enough and was inconsistent. Sabrina Elliott said a Makhanda resident had told her that they had the same problem, with pumps not working and inefficiency.

Blaming it on corruption, she said: “If only efficient people were put in the right positions and money not stolen, we would not be in this dire situation.”

Anzelle Vermooten

said: “My understanding is that there are two water trucks, of which one is broken down and repairs are needed.

They are old and slow. My guess . . . [an] hour to Cannon [Rocks RO plant], hour to fill, hour back and hour to offload. Now eight work hours x one truck. Right there is the problem. This truck then also has to deliver to other places too.”

Nicolette Dell said she concerned about the elderly people in town.

Ockert Smit asked: “What is the municipality that changed our availability of water going to deliver on the charge? Otherwise the ratepayers must be reimbursed.”

Jayde Venter said: “I would just love to get municipal water at my house.”

Eustice Eusfull Hendricks said: “Station hill doesn’t have a single tank put up.”

Asked for a comment, Ndlambe municipal spokesperson Cecil Mbolekwa said: “The situation in Station Hill is different from other areas, the water that comes to town goes through Station Hill.

“That means there is always water in that area, hence there is no water tank.

“If there is an area that requires a water tank we will gladly place one.”

He said people must indicate where a water tank is needed and he would speak to the water manager.