Cradock, Middelburg Residents Endure Three Days Without Water

CRADOCK / MIDDELBURG – Frustration is growing in the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality as residents endure a third day without water, with many households in Cradock and surrounding areas reporting dry taps.

The water outage has affected several communities including Michausdal, Lingelihle, Oukop, Hillside, the town centre and the industrial area, leaving residents increasingly concerned as the interruption drags on.

According to the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM), the supply disruption is linked to recurring electricity outages in the Nxuba area, which have affected critical water pump stations.

Power outages disrupt pump stations

In a statement issued by CHDM, the municipality confirmed that power interruptions have caused pump stations to stop operating, resulting in constraints on the water supply system.

Municipal technical teams have been dispatched to investigate the problem and implement measures to restore the water supply as soon as possible.

“CHDM is currently experiencing water supply problems as a result of power outages in the areas of Nxuba. Pump stations have been affected and this causes water supply constraints in the area,” the municipality said.

Officials indicated that technicians are assessing both the electrical interruptions and other possible technical faults in an effort to prevent the situation from recurring.

Water tankers deployed to affected areas

As an immediate response to the ongoing crisis, CHDM has deployed additional water tankers to provide temporary relief to residents in the hardest-hit neighbourhoods.

Tankers have been dispatched to several areas including:

• Cradock town area

• Michausdal

• Lingelihle

• Oukop

• Industrial area

• Hillside

The municipality said the tankers will assist residents until normal water supply operations can resume.

Residents growing frustrated

Despite the emergency measures, frustration among residents has been mounting as the outage continues.

Many households have now gone multiple days without reliable water, forcing some residents to rely on water deliveries, stored water, or assistance from neighbours.

Community members have taken to social media to express their anger, with some saying they are becoming “hot under the collar” as the disruption stretches into its third day.

Water interruptions of this nature can have significant impacts on daily life, affecting households, schools, businesses and sanitation.

Municipality urges patience

The Chris Hani District Municipality has urged residents to remain calm while technical teams continue working on the problem.

“The technical team will continue working towards restoration of water supply in the areas,” the municipality said in its update.

Officials also said further updates will be issued once more information becomes available about the cause of the outages and the progress made toward restoring supply.

Residents experiencing water-related issues are encouraged to contact the municipality’s 24-hour customer call centre at 0800 100 100.

Ongoing infrastructure challenges

The situation highlights ongoing infrastructure and service delivery challenges affecting parts of the Chris Hani District, where electricity interruptions can have a direct knock-on effect on essential services such as water pumping and distribution.

Municipal officials said investigations are continuing into the technical issues linked to the recurring outages.

For now, residents across the affected areas remain dependent on tanker deliveries while authorities work to restore normal supply.