Problems with St Lucia water supply

IT is not uncommon for residents in St Lucia to go without water for hours, at times days, on end, particularly during the festive season.

‘Jo-Jo’ tanks are a common sight in the town but are no permanent solution to this ongoing problem.

At a recent meeting between St Lucia ratepayers, Mtubatuba Municipality, uMkhanyakude District and Department of Water Affairs representatives, St Lucia’s water shortage problem, as well as proposed solutions, were discussed.

Problems abound when it comes to St Lucia’s water supply, 90% of which are directly related to a lack of maintenance.

Without major improvements to maintenance procedures the 1300-odd houses due to be built in Khula Village in January 2014 will add extra pressure on an already over-used water system.

When questioned on how the current water supply and infrastructure will service the extra development planned for both Khula Village and Dukuduku, the uMkhanyakude District representative could only answer by saying that he’s ‘unsure’ as his job is operational maintenance rather than supply.

While new reservoirs have been built and water pipelines have been installed, no governmental representative at the meeting could answer where the water to fill the reservoirs will come from.

Jozini Dam has been discussed as an option, for which licences have been applied, however, no long term solution has been agreed upon.