Frustrated residents continue to grapple with widespread water cuts, while heatwave conditions are placing water supply systems under even more pressure.

DA councillor in Mangaung, Pieter Lotriet, said the ailing municipality has ignored repeated warnings, as well as proposed solutions to address ageing water infrastructure. “Infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate, with minimal upgrades or maintenance done to meet the demands of population growth and new housing developments.”

He referred to stalled plans for new reservoirs as evidence of poor planning and lack of political commitment, leaving the metro vulnerable to repeated disruptions.

“Under normal circumstances, the VCW system and Mangaung Metro can barely meet the city’s needs. Any disruption leads to weeks of sporadic outages. Pellissier, for instance, is consistently among the first areas to lose water and the last to have it restored. Last month’s disruptions completely broke the supply, exposing both the municipality’s and Vaal Central Water’s inability to manage resources effectively.”

“MMM has informed us that the system is under severe stress. Both VCW and MMM’s systems are running non-stop to maintain essential services, particularly for hospitals. However, high water usage has created significant deficits, leading to inequitable water allocation, especially in higher-lying areas.”

Residents in areas such as Langenhoven Park, Pentagon Park, Heuwelsig, and Pellissier have been among the hardest hit by water cuts. The metro has urged residents to use water sparingly to help stabilise the system, but residents report ongoing hardships and little relief.

Lotriet expressed frustration over the lack of communication and decisive action from city leadership.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg