Warrenton’s power and water woes persist as electricity is restored in Homevale Extension

CERTAIN areas of Warrenton were still without power on Wednesday after electricity supply was restored a week after residents were left in the dark when the Magareng Municipality attempted to join an 11-kilovolt underground cable last week.

It was later discovered that the entire underground network was “old and faulty”.

Residents were advised that, despite multiple repair attempts, all efforts to fix the cable had failed and that a new 11 kilovolt overhead line would be installed to supply electricity to the area.

Residents who sought assistance at the Magareng municipal offices on Friday found the offices empty, with “not a single person in sight”.

Warrenton resident Sonnet Bryant added that their tap water was “thick as custard” and a murky, muddy colour.

DA Member of Parliament Lisa Schickerling indicated that private water testing was conducted by AfriForum after Warrenton residents reported falling ill.

“Laboratory analysis of the tap water in the vicinity of Warrenton indicates that the sample fails SANS 241 drinking water standards due to significant microbiological contamination. The presence of E coli indicates faecal contamination, which carries a direct health risk. The very high total coliform count further shows the water is not hygienically safe and points to failures in water treatment or contamination in the pipes, reservoirs or distribution system,” she said.

She advised that the water was considered unsafe for human consumption unless properly boiled or disinfected.

Frustration mounts as outages drag on

DA Magareng councillor Jo-Ann Isaacs indicated that residents in Warrenvale and the station area had purchased their Christmas supplies, only for their fridges to remain off since December 9, causing food to spoil.

“Electricians have been struggling to reconnect a broken underground cable without success. The electricity network is aged and faulty, making the task challenging. Based on the latest communication received, the municipality now plans to erect a new 11 kV overhead line to restore power in a safer, longer-lasting way,” she said.

“There is inadequate communication between the municipality and the community. Key staff are also on leave and no measures have been put in place to deal with emergency shutdowns. To aggravate the situation, the water plant is also affected by the power crisis, having a knock-on effect on water supply,” she added.

Isaacs stated that the municipality had not provided a clear indication of when the crisis would be resolved, nor of adequate mitigation measures to lessen the strain on residents.

“Due to limited communication with the municipal manager, we have reached out to MEC Vass to help provide technical support and facilitate a speedy solution to the power outage and the developing water crisis,” she said.

The Magareng Municipality had not responded to media enquiries at the time of publication.

Homevale Extension power restored

Meanwhile, power was restored at the Homevale Extension power unit in Kimberley on Tuesday at around 3am.

Residents in Homelite, Homevale and Homevale Extension were without electricity for an entire week after the power unit was vandalised and a 21-year-old man was electrocuted in the process last week.

Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Thabo Mothibi said excessive damage had been caused to a mini-substation in Homevale Extension.

“The costs of the repair work are exponential. Early estimates are at R4 million, including materials, overtime claims, loss of revenue, and potential insurance claims that the municipality will face.

“Community activism and love for your neighbourhood are best demonstrated by reporting theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure or assets to the police on 10 111,” he said.

Mothibi thanked the community for its patience while repair work unfolded.

“Delays were caused by extensive damage to infrastructure, heavy rains and inclement weather,” he said.