Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The residents of Grootfontein are growing increasingly frustrated as mud-coloured water continues to flow from taps.
This affected especially the Mini-town, Luiperdheuwel, and Extensions 7, 8, and 9, as well as parts of Tuliang.
The issue, which has persisted for weeks, stems from ongoing repairs at the Buitekamp Boreholes and Water Reservoir.
Emmerencia Ndara, a resident of Luiperdheuwel, said they rely on clean water for their daily needs.
“It is unacceptable that we have to deal with brown water for an extended period,” said Ndara.
Many residents took to social media to express their frustration.
“This is the water that we have had to drink all the past weeks,” said Christine Simon.
“It could be a reason after the pipes were replaced. But I don’t argue that our water is no longer up to standard. There is a lot of rubbish lying around, and chemicals are also used on farmlands. When it rains, all those chemicals “leach” through the soil into our water, which is then pumped back up,” said Robert Francois Zahradnicky.
Grootfontein Constituency Councillor Elder Filipe acknowledged the ongoing crisis, explaining that it is primarily affecting certain boreholes in the northeastern part of the town.
“We are currently experiencing a water problem. This problem is limited to certain boreholes located in the northeastern areas. We have been informing residents about this situation through notices since last week,” said Filipe.
He explained that the brown water is a result of declining water levels in the affected boreholes.
“As a result, we are required to drill deeper to access clean water. Residents are advised not to drink the brown water until the situation is resolved,” he said.
Filipe added that an emergency contract has been put in place to address the issue.
“We have scheduled another emergency meeting for tomorrow morning to discuss this matter further, “he said.
The Grootfontein Municipality issued a public notice on 25 October, informing affected residents that the brown water is linked to the reinstallation of a borehole pump.
Despite these assurances, no timeline has been provided for when clean water will be restored, leaving residents uncertain about the resolution.
Residents have been urged to report incidents of brown water to the municipality.
While no estimated timeframe for water restoration was provided, the municipality’s maintenance team is reportedly working on-site to resolve the issue.
On 17 October, the municipality informed residents of Buitekamp that water services were interrupted due to an emergency borehole replacement.
The following day, on 18 October, the water supply was temporarily cut off to fill the water tower, but the brown water problem persisted.
