Thousands of residents in the Buffalo City Metro will have to endure three days of dry taps as Amatola Water carries out much-needed inspections and routine maintenance of infrastructure.
An inspection at the Qongqotha regional storage reservoir and maintenance on the Laing Bulk Water System will result in the water supply to several communities being cut off from Friday to Sunday.
Authorities said the supply should be restored by Sunday but warned it could take longer.
Planned maintenance is necessary. Routine inspections and repairs of water infrastructure are important to improve bulk water supply to communities.
But three days without a reliable and steady supply of water is a big ask.
Contingency plans are in place, both Amatola Water and BCM have assured residents.
Ten tankers are expected to cart water to affected communities, but the list is long.
The metro did not provide specifics when asked about the distribution plan, only saying “[water] drop points will be determined by the villages”.
Residents are encouraged to store water in anticipation of this weekend’s outage.
However, for some, the expected three-day shutdown is not a once-off interruption and speaks to a deeper crisis experienced in communities.
When outages last for years, the problem is not only maintenance
The Dispatch spoke to several residents who live in areas affected by the planned maintenance.
Some claim they have not had water for days already, while others say the supply has been unreliable for years.
For them, tankers have become a regular source of supply rather than a temporary measure. They also complain about the quality of water from these tankers.
When outages last for years, the problem is not only maintenance.
It points to a system that is not stable enough to provide reliable service.
Contingency measures such distribution by water tankers can help during a shutdown but it is by no means a viable, long-term solution.
Water outages are not only an inconvenience.
They deny residents their constitutional right to basic access to water.
The economic effects of outages add another dimension to the problem.
When businesses that are dependent on water cannot operate, income is lost and that has negative consequences on the local economy further down the line.
Planned maintenance is critical and cannot be avoided, but long-term investment in infrastructure and developing an urgent response to leaks and outages are equally important to ensure taps do not run dry.
Communities also deserve clear communication about interventions so that they aren’t left wondering when water will be restored.
Daily Dispatch
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