GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The owner of a business in the centre of Caledon Street, Graaff-Reinet, was one of many who reported problems due to a lack of water over the holiday period. 

An official from the municipality attended to her complaint, and she was horrified when told that there was a problem with a tap that had been closed in Napier Street, behind the shop.

It is unclear whether this was intentional, as an act of vandalism, or just carelessness.

A similar incident occurred at the top of Stockenstroom Street, where allegedly a valve had been turned off at the place where the water supply is split between the town and Umasiakhe.

Roland Calitz owns a self- catering cottage in Stockenstroom Street that was fully booked over the holiday period. Calitz told the Advertiser that for four weeks, there was not a drop of water in the taps, which made it extremely difficult.

"We contacted all the guests ahead of time and explained the situation, and fortunately they were all very understanding," said Calitz. The guests were unable to shower or bath, and had to draw water from the storage tank outside in buckets to wash. Purified drinking water was provided, and Calitz said that some guests even went as far as replenishing this at their own expense before leaving. 

"What was most frustrating was that we contacted the municipality at least once a week, but did not once receive any response," he said.

Many other accommodation establishments recounted similar experiences, with the vast majority of guests being sympathetic to the town's plight. 

Some of the guesthouses had planned ahead by plumbing the storage tanks into their water system, with pumps, so that water could still flow from the taps.

 Some other larger establishments had to buy tanks of water from surrounding farms or private boreholes, to be able to cope with the laundry and guests' needs.

'We bring you the latest Graaff-Reinet, Karoo news'