Residents demand answers about brown murky water
Bewildered residents of Doornpoort, Montana, and Sinoville, north of Pretoria, have been left with many questions as their taps continued to deliver dirty water without explanation.
This comes after residents opened their taps to find brown, murky water unsuitable for drinking, cooking or basic hygiene.
Ward 50 councillor Lenise Breytenbach said residents need transparency.
'People deserve to know what's in their water, what caused the contamination, and when they can expect clean water again,' said Breytenbach.
But for residents like Susan Liebenberg, the lack of answers feels like a slap in the face.
'All we need is what we are dealing with. What is the contamination? This is not just about dirty water. We want to know whether the water is safe for human consumption.
'Tests should have been done the first day already. What if our lives are in danger? This could lead to the same problems that popped out in Hammanskraal, where people lost their lives,' said Liebenberg.
Deon Venter said the discolouration of water in the area began over the weekend.
Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has warned Montana residents against following false information as maintenance work on bulk water infrastructure gets underway.
'We want to warn the residents of Montana against following misleading WhatsApp information regarding water supply to the area.
'The Mayoral Executive is aware of a series of misleading messages that are being spread to increase alarm,' said Moya.
Moya said residents must not believe these messages and use official metro communication portals to verify information.
'There have been reports of water discolouration in recent days in Region 2, Montana, and surrounding areas. These reports come at a time when the city has scheduled maintenance of the bulk water system in the reservoir that supplies the Montana area.'
She said that to safeguard the integrity of bulk water systems, regular maintenance and cleaning are necessary to ensure safe and reliable water provision to residents.
The cleaning of the Montana Reservoir has necessitated the need to institute temporary water interruptions in Montana and its surroundings.
Cleaning and maintenance are expected to be between May 12 and 14.
'We ask for your patience to ensure the long-term sustainability of this reservoir to supply the people of Montana and its surroundings with reliable and clean water.
'We plead with residents to remain calm and use water sparingly. We encourage all residents to follow all official platforms of the city for regular updates about the progress of this maintenance,' said Moya.
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