A CASH-STRAPPED municipality in Limpopo spends more than R2-million a month on inadequate mobile water tankers, while recipients still depend on contaminated water for their household needs.

The Sekhukhune district municipality has been relying on water tank providers since 2002 after former President Thabo Mbeki declared the district as very poor and in need of speedy government intervention.

But eight years later the exercise has been deemed too expensive and ineffective in spite of the huge financial injection.

District executive mayor David Magabe said the area had decided to put the water tank delivery process on hold.

Magabe said the district had instead decided to drill new boreholes and rehabilitate those vandalised.

The water treatment plant at the Flag Boshielo Dam would also be expanded so that it can pump more water to communities.

"The new plant will pump 12 to 15 megalitres of water a day, as opposed to the current plant, that pumps only eight megalitres," Magabe said.

"When completed the plant will be able to supply clean running water to 126 villages as opposed to the current 56 villages."

He said the expansion of the plant would require more than R300million to get off the ground and villages such as gaNtshabeleng, Appel, Mohlaletsi, Phokwane, Malope and those around the dam will have running water on their doorsteps soon after completion.

He said theft of electric pumps, electric cables and engines were rampant in the area.

"The region has further put in place measures to curb the outbreak of cholera that was responsible for the loss of many lives in the region last year," Magabe said.

"We have made sure that more than 60 percent of households who had no toilets last year now have pit toilets in their yards.

"We have already appointed contractors to build no less than 2000 toilets for families who had to make do without toilets in the past."