The political and management components of Musina Municipality have assured local community members that measures are in place to address the interruption of the normal water supply in some parts of Nancefield.
The municipality is working with Vhembe District, the Department of Water Affairs, the South African National Defence Force and De Beers Venetia Mine to come up with a permanent solution to the problem.
Municipal spokesperson Mr Wilson Dzebu said the problem was caused by the overflowing Limpopo River, which had damaged some of the boreholes. "Musina water extraction is done in the Limpopo River, where boreholes are submerged in and along the river banks. In total, we have 22 operational boreholes, eight of which are right inside the river and 14 are alongside the river banks."
Dzebu said that the eight boreholes in the river had since been eroded by the high volume of flowing water caused by the heavy rains upstream. "This is because the Limpopo River is fed by a number of tributaries upstream. These eight boreholes are the main source of water that give good yield and this means that the operation is compromised. The water pumped cannot cater for the whole of Musina, thereby impacting negatively on high-lying areas."
He said that, on average, 16 megalitres of water was pumped through and recorded at the inflow meters. "Since this disaster befell us, we have been operating at a much lower volume of 10 megalitres per day. Although we are reviving some of the old boreholes to supplement the loss, the unfortunate part is that the river is still overflowing, but we are working as speedily as possible to resolve the challenges."
Dzebu added that water tankers had been dispatched to the affected areas. "We are aware that water is a basic need for life and we are doing everything possible to redress this situation that is beyond our control. In difficult times like these, it is the responsibility of every citizen to make sure that we share the little of what we have to the maximum. Community members must also note that the watering of gardens and wasteful use of water are restricted."
Last week, technicians from Venetia Mine undertook a fact-finding mission tour to the pump station with the municipal management team to establish how an urgent solution to the problem can be implemented.