Koukamma’s Man-Made Water Crisis

Statement by Henni Britz MP – DA Koukamma Constituency Leader:

Following interventions by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Kareedouw community, the Koukamma Municipality attended a meeting to discuss its inability to fully address the man-made water crisis in the town.

Kareedouw is facing severe water restrictions and the looming possibility of being declared a water disaster area. Since December last year, residents have been repeatedly left without water in their homes for days at a time, placing an unbearable strain on their daily lives.

Last week the DA met with local community members and thereafter with the Municipal Manager to address the crisis.

During our meeting with the Municipal Manager, it was highlighted that many of Kareedouw’s water challenges are the result of the municipality’s broken water pumps, as well as dysfunctional and vandalised boreholes that have not been properly maintained for years.

The situation became so critical that the community took matters into its own hands and sent the municipality’s two water pumps for repairs. Only one could be repaired and was reinstalled, providing limited but much-needed relief. The municipality undertook to pay for the repaired water pump, but payment has yet to be made.

Strict water restrictions are expected to be imposed from Friday as the first of many steps toward having Koukamma declared a water disaster area. The Municipal Manager has admitted that the municipality is facing severe funding limitations and lacks the funds to properly address the water crisis.

Declaring the area a water disaster and securing funding from national government appears to be his only proposed long term solution. In the meantime, residents are left to suffer the consequences of the municipality’s failures.

The municipality’s inability to deal with the crisis reads like a horror story, including:

• Municipal officials do not have maps showing the location of water pipelines leading to the town.
• There is no reliable information on borehole capacities or accurate meter readings to determine actual water consumption.
• One water pump is incorrectly configured, creating a loop that pumps water back into a feeding dam instead of to the reservoir.
• Incorrect water billing has been ongoing for years without resolution.

Koukamma has undertaken to update its water infrastructure data. As soon as more technical data has been collected, which is due by Friday, the DA will approach the office of the Minister of Water and Sanitation for urgent intervention.

The DA will fight for the people of Koukamma, demanding swift and decisive action to address these pressing challenges and establish a reliable, sustainable water supply for all affected communities.