Cradock water crisis explained as municipality responds to residents’ concerns

Nxuba (Cradock), Eastern Cape – The Chris Hani District Municipality has provided clarity on the ongoing water outages affecting parts of Nxuba (Cradock), following growing frustration from residents who say some areas have gone without water for up to seven days.

Municipal spokesperson Dr Sandiso Tyembile confirmed that the disruption was caused by damage to critical infrastructure at the Geelbooi pump station.

Pump failure linked to power outages

According to Tyembile, the municipality’s major water pump at the Geelbooi station was damaged as a result of recent power outages in the area. This failure significantly impacted water supply to affected communities.

He said technical teams worked overnight to resolve the issue, successfully reinstalling a refurbished pump along with a new Variable Speed Drive (VSD), aimed at improving energy efficiency and stabilising operations.

Supply expected to recover soon

Residents can expect gradual improvement, with water supply anticipated to normalise later today and into tomorrow.

However, Tyembile cautioned that certain areas — including the correctional services centre and higher-lying parts of Hillside — are still experiencing low pressure due to depleted reservoir levels.

“The water supply system remains under pressure, particularly in upper-lying areas,” he said.

To address this, the municipality plans to implement water rationing overnight to allow reservoirs to recover and improve distribution.

Additional tankers deployed

In response to the shortages, the municipality has increased the number of water tankers servicing the Cradock area. These tankers are sourced internally, using the municipality’s own fleet.

This comes as residents raised concerns about the quality of tanker water, with some alleging it appears dirty or may be stored in unclean containers.

Municipality assures water safety

Tyembile reassured residents that the water being distributed is safe for consumption. He explained that tanker water is drawn from already treated supplies at municipal water treatment works.

“The municipality draws already treated water from the water treatment systems to ensure it is safe for drinking,” he said.

Ongoing pressure on system

The municipality acknowledged the strain on the system and urged residents to use water sparingly while recovery efforts continue.

The situation has highlighted ongoing infrastructure vulnerabilities, particularly the impact of power outages on essential services in the region.