ABOUT 50000 households in Mpumalanga have been without water since Tuesday because of a massive water pipe leakage.
Residents say the water pipe network connecting Douglas Dam near Ermelo - which supplies Wesselton and other areas - was damaged by a heavy duty vehicle and this caused the water crisis.
"We alerted our municipality minutes after the pipe was damaged and we don't understand why it is taking it so long to fix it," said resident Lungile Mdluli.
"Since Tuesday when the pipe broke, none of us have been able to cook properly, wash, bath or flush toilets as there is no water," said another resident, Tshepo Nkoana.
But Msukaligwa municipality spokesperson Surprise Nkosi said a plan was already in place to fix the problem.
"Our technical team is hard at work repairing the damaged pipe network and the water supply will be restored soon."
Nkosi said a contingency plan using water tankers was also in place to provide the affected residents.
"The maintenance plan for the upgrading of the water network is on the top of the municipality's priority list and a process is being effectively implemented to salvage the situation in which the supply of drinking water will be restored back to normality.
"The new and fully operational Gert Sibande District Water Quality Laboratory, strategically located at Cassim Park in Ermelo for quality water testing, bears testimony to the progress made thus far," Nkosi said.
Nkosi said the dry season also made it difficult for a number of municipal reservoirs to pump sufficient water to service households in the region.
Shortage of water hits areas
ABOUT 50000 households in Mpumalanga have been without water since Tuesday because of a massive water pipe leakage.
Residents say the water pipe network connecting Douglas Dam near Ermelo - which supplies Wesselton and other areas - was damaged by a heavy duty vehicle and this caused the water crisis.
"We alerted our municipality minutes after the pipe was damaged and we don't understand why it is taking it so long to fix it," said resident Lungile Mdluli.
"Since Tuesday when the pipe broke, none of us have been able to cook properly, wash, bath or flush toilets as there is no water," said another resident, Tshepo Nkoana.
But Msukaligwa municipality spokesperson Surprise Nkosi said a plan was already in place to fix the problem.
"Our technical team is hard at work repairing the damaged pipe network and the water supply will be restored soon."
Nkosi said a contingency plan using water tankers was also in place to provide the affected residents.
"The maintenance plan for the upgrading of the water network is on the top of the municipality's priority list and a process is being effectively implemented to salvage the situation in which the supply of drinking water will be restored back to normality.
"The new and fully operational Gert Sibande District Water Quality Laboratory, strategically located at Cassim Park in Ermelo for quality water testing, bears testimony to the progress made thus far," Nkosi said.
Nkosi said the dry season also made it difficult for a number of municipal reservoirs to pump sufficient water to service households in the region.
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