The Sol Plaatje Municipality blamed the interruptions on the high turbidity of water as a result floods and opening of sluice gates at Bloemhof Dam upstream.
KIMBERLEY residents were left fuming after being left without water since Friday due to the malfunctioning at the Riverton Purification Plant.
The Sol Plaatje Municipality blamed the interruptions on the high turbidity of water as a result floods and opening of sluice gates at Bloemhof Dam upstream.
Following the opening of the sluice gates, only two pumps were being used to supply water to Newton Reservoir, resulting in the filtration process taking longer, it said.
Municipal spokesperson Sello Matsie indicated that the malfunctioning of the plant had led to reduction of productivity due to doubling up on the filtration process.
He said this automatically resulted in less water supply to Kimberley.
This morning Matsie assured residents that pumping from Newton Reservoir had started and that all areas of the city should expect to have water soon.
“We should be receiving water but we will continue to monitor and control the reservoir levels. “The dams are currently at around 8/9 feet,” said Matsie.
Residents questioned as to why they had to learn about the water challenges from a social media message addressed by Mr Sithole, an acting director at the Sol Plaatje Municipality, instead of the municipality itself.
There was still no communication from the municipality itself until businesses and councillors forwarded complaints that it published a statement on the Sol Plaatje Municipality Facebook page.
The residents also questioned the rumours of another water shutdown during the day (Saturday).
The CEO of the Northern Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nocci), Sharon Steyn lashed out at the municipality for its lack of transparency.
Steyn said the municipality ignores the need for a contingency plan regardless of the many challenges it encounters.
“How can a business be without water for two days without prior warning?.
“The frustrating part is that residents and businesses have to run after the municipality for answers before they put a two paragraph notice on their Facebook page.
“How can the reservoir be empty and how can the water remain dirty for so long?
“This is unacceptable. Our municipality should wake up,” she said.
