THEUNISSEN – Residents in parts of Masilonyana Local Municipality are facing possible water supply disruptions as the municipality works to secure additional chemicals needed for water purification.

The municipality currently has enough chemicals to sustain the purification process for approximately four days, according to DA councillor Andre Kruger, who said he attended a creditors’ meeting with municipal management on Monday.

Kruger said all businesses supplying chemicals to the municipality have outstanding accounts. Municipal management reportedly undertook to settle the outstanding supplier accounts once funds become available, but the backlog remains substantial.

Water purification resumed

Water purification resumed on Wednesday afternoon to replenish the reservoirs, with the taps expected to be opened on Thursday morning. Residents have been warned that it will take time for the system to fill and for water pressure to stabilise across affected areas.

Some parts of the neighbourhood currently have water because they are receiving their supply directly from the main pipeline rather than from the reservoirs.

Kruger said efforts were under way to secure additional chemical supplies before the existing stock is exhausted, which would allow water purification to continue and help prevent further interruptions to the service.

“The reality is that the accounts of all businesses supplying chemicals to the municipality remain outstanding,” Kruger said.

Serious concerns raised

The situation has raised concerns about the municipality’s ability to maintain essential services and meet its financial obligations to suppliers. Kruger attributed the current difficulties to what he described as years of poor municipal management and called for stronger accountability and more effective administration.

He said the DA in Masilonyana would engage municipal management on the urgent need to secure additional chemicals and address outstanding supplier payments.

The municipality’s ability to maintain reliable water purification will depend on securing a continuous supply of treatment chemicals, while resolving the outstanding supplier accounts remains important to preventing further disruptions.

Kruger also linked the water crisis to the upcoming local government elections, saying residents would have an opportunity on 4 November to decide who should oversee the municipality for the next five years.

He said a DA-led administration would prioritise reinvesting revenue collected for water services into water infrastructure, with the aim of improving the reliability of water purification and reducing avoidable service interruptions.

For now, residents remain dependent on the municipality securing additional chemicals before the current supply runs out.

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