GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - As Graaff-Reinet grows warmer in the midst of a heat wave, many residents have been left without running water for days.
Charline Swartbooi of the Chris Hani Village in Umasizakhe told the Advertiser on Saturday that she has been without water for nearly five days. "We are struggling with our basic daily needs," she said.
A second Umasizakhe resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Advertiser that the stench in her house is becoming unbearable. “Our toilets cannot flush. My house stinks, and there is nothing we can do. The water trucks stop too far from our houses to walk and get water.”
These women were not alone in her water woes, as residents of Bergendal, the Horseshoe and other areas in Graaff-Reinet said they were also without water over the weekend. Residents also said that if there was running water, it was very little.
According to Acting Municipal Spokesperson, Wilca Smith, the water levels of the town's boreholes have dropped. "It's worrying," she said, adding that community members are urged to use water sparingly.
Smith said that areas especially affected by the low water levels include the entire Umasizahke, Bergendal, the top part of Spandauville, as well as Noord, Hope, Auret and Queen Street, and the top parts of Cradock Street and Stockenstroom Street.
According to Smith, water trucks are constantly circulating these areas. "The times that these trucks will be in affected areas cannot be determined, as the amount of water needed for each area is undetermined," she explained.
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