After five years without maintenance of the old Modder River reservoir and the interconnected water network by Sol Plaatje municipality, the Democratic Alliance (DA) joined hands with the community to do basic maintenance to help secure water provision for the water scarce community and clean up the area around the reservoir.
Water restrictions were imposed on Modder River, and the neighbouring town of Ritchie, about a month ago due to infrastructure-related issues at the Ritchie water purification plant. This includes the delayed replacement of filters and pumps.
This weekend, the Modder River community was again left without water because of the resultant low water pressure affecting the ability to pump water to Modder River via the highly inefficient 20 mm pipeline. This is the same size pipe used in household garden irrigation systems.
To bring a bit of relief to residents, the DA got permission to solder a valve on the Modder River pipeline, that has been used by people to illegally tap water. Due to tampering, the valve was left closed on many occasions. This caused the reservoir to run dry, further aggravating the water problem.
Together with community members, we also cut down reeds and removed young trees that had grown up underneath and around the reservoir, that could eventually threaten its structural integrity.
The thick scrub around the reservoir also served as a hide away from criminals. The project therefore had a multi-pronged effect of making the community safer.
For years, the DA has been calling on Sol Plaatje to address the Modder River-Ritchie water crisis. While we note that the planned upgrades have been removed from Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) funding to own-revenue, to expedite the process, I am in discussion with the Municipal Manager and will continue to put pressure on municipality to urgently effect the upgrades.