There is a total water shutdown at Kroonstad as the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Moqhaka Municipality are cleaning reservoirs. The department’s spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, says the water shutdown is to ensure that infrastructure can be cleaned to ensure it delivers expected quality water.

He says the cleaning of the reservoirs has long been planned and on-going consultation was done with the community. Ratau further explains that local farmers have allowed the municipality to augment the dwindling supply from their boreholes.

“We have also put some contingency measures in place so that people can continue to have water. Even before then, when we were doing the consultation, we requested the community to store the necessary amount of water that can be able to sustain them throughout the period. For those who didn’t save any water, we have provided water tankers so that people will still be able to draw water.”

Ratau says water supply should be back by Saturday afternoon at the latest.

Refilwe Gaeswe/Courant News