Neighbouring primary schools in Daniels Street, CM Vellum and Samuel Ntlebi both have water tank systems installed on site, but have had very different experience of the service.
Neighbouring primary schools in Daniels Street, CM Vellum and Samuel Ntlebi both have water tank systems installed on site, but have had very different experience of the service.
Theodora Daniels, head of department at Samuel Ntlebi, said it had been a long time since the school had had running or fresh water.
When principal Dumakazi Myemane asked the municipality to repair the school’s pipes, they said the school needed to clear the area above the pipes before they could be checked.
The school complied, but haven't heard from the municipality since.
The school also faces problems of theft and vandalism.
“They cut the pipes and stole the water pump but it was recovered and restored… now they have taken it again,” said Daniels.
The school is now paying for a new pump system.
Samuel Ntlebi has five tanks on the property. The taps on all these tanks have also been stolen.
Daniels said that security beams are currently being installed by the district office in the hopes of catching the vandals and reducing theft and vandalism.
In the face of constant water outage, the tank system would appear to be the best water solution for schools.
However, Daniels doesn’t feel that it is a viable solution: “It’s not healthy. You can’t live on tank water all the time. It should be a temporary thing. Not a permanent thing.”
Meanwhile, Ntsiki Mpahlwa, principal of CM Vellum said the school had not had any major water issues for five to six years after the implementation of the tank system.
There are five water tanks on the property, linked to a pressure pump system that distributes water to all areas of the school.
“So when Grahamstown had water problems, we did not experience that,” she said.
