Water shortage putting our health at risk, say KwaNobuhle residents

Residents of KwaNobuhle in Uitenhage say water has become such a scarce commodity it is near impossible for them to fight the coronavirus pandemic — as they frequently cannot even wash their hands.

Residents in townships like Khayelitsha and Philane say they often go with only two hours of running water — and that is usually at night.

Khayelitsha residents Esta Ngwenya said the lack of water was putting lives on the line.

“We understand there is global pandemic of coronavirus [but] unfortunately we are not able to wash our hands frequently due to inadequate water. I can’t say this is good for our health,” Ngwenya said.

She said they were getting water from another informal settlement with communal taps, but even those were dry by Saturday.

She said she had not seen the water tankers which the municipality had promised would deliver water.

“We heard about the tanks and the water trucks but we have not seen those in our areas.

“We are still having to go fetch water in buckets for cooking and drinking and we are recycling our bath water so we can use that for flushing, but that is so unhygienic and worrying because we should be washing our hands and keeping clean.”

Another resident, Mkhonto Khaliphi, said he had struggled for water since Friday and the situation was frustrating for his grandmother, who was in her late 80s.

“We are struggling with water and even to wash ourselves is a problem.

“They said there are water tanks but the collection points are not convenient for everyone because some of us have to walk quite a distance to get there.

“They encourage us to wash our hands all the time, but we can’t because of the water challenge.”

At the weekend, the municipality sent out a statement urging residents to reduce water consumption.

“In the last four weeks some areas, especially on the western side of Nelson Mandela Bay have suffered water shortages,” the statement said.

“These shortages have been due to high water consumption and low dam levels supplying the western side of the city.

“This has led to areas like KwaNobuhle going without water.

The reality is that there are only 260 megalitres per day available, while our current consumption is at about 290 megalitres per day,” the statement read.

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The municipality said water tankers would be stationed at the following areas:

• The top entrance to KwaNobuhle, Bantom Road;
• The corner of Matanzima and Mabandla streets;
• The corner of Jacob Matamela and 10th Avenue; and
• Ponnanatini Road opposite the fire department.

Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the tankers were a temporary measure and the municipality did not, for now, expect a challenge in distributing water.

Mniki did not say how long the water issues would continue.

- HeraldLIVE