The municipality is monitoring water-use near farms where treated water was found in dams – but the land-owners have not yet been confronted about what officials say is massive water theft.
The municipality is monitoring water-use near farms where treated water was found in dams – but the land-owners have not yet been confronted about what officials say is massive water theft.
Grocott's Mail reported last month that millions of litres of treated water were being used to fill farm dams, as Grahamstown residents continued to struggle with outages and substandard water ('City water fills farm dams', Grocott's Mail, 22 February 2013).
Municipal officials had uncovered a network of illegal connections diverting water from a major Grahamstown water-supply pipe to dams on a game farm on the Fort Beaufort road.
They said they would confront the farmers.
There was evidence to suggest that the illegal connections might have been active for as long as five years.
A foreman had discovered them when investigating why the Botha's Hill reservoir, east of Grahamstown, crucial to water management in the city, was not filling up.
In a major setback to the investigations, officials say they've been unable to contact the farmers concerned and a planned meeting with them two weeks ago was aborted.
Technical and Infrastructure services director Thembinkosi Myalato said, "I have been trying to get hold of them, but we have not been successful. We have disconnected the illegal connections in the farms that we have access in, and we are doing further investigations."
Myalato said because staff may be implicated, there were legislated processes the municipality had to follow before opening a case with the police.
"When dealing with staff, we can't just suspend; we also need a report from the supervisor and the technician. I can assure [residents]that we are investigating this problem," Myalato said.
Municipal Spokesperson Mncedisi Boma said the municipality had been monitoring the water in the area weekly.
"As the director said, the investigation is in progress and there will be legal action against them. We have in the meantime bought a meter to monitor the water that is lost. What we have found out is that when we disconnect, after a week they reconnect those illegal pipes," said Boma.
Grocott's Mail has not yet succeeded in contacting the farmers.
Water theft is not new to Makana.
Last May, the construction company building the new police station in Extension 6 admitted that they were using water diverted to the site via illegal connections.
