Disaster-stricken Charlesville, a residential area in Jagersfontein, remains “isolated” in terms of the supply of water and electricity amidst significant progress being made towards recovering from the collapse of the nearby mine’s tailing dam on Sunday (11/09). Both Bloem Water and Eskom confirmed that they made significant strides in restoring access to these utilities in the town.
However, the two entities are yet to quantify financial costs incurred to repair damaged infrastructures.
“Bulk electricity supply to Jagersfontein was restored at 04:25 yesterday morning. Bulk supply was restored to Centlec, which distributes power to Jagersfontein and to individual customers. Power supply to the neighbouring town of Fauresmith, just 11 km from Jagersfontein, was restored earlier after temporary outrage on Sunday.
“Eskom technicians worked around the clock to install and energise a replacement transformer at the Badplaas substation in Jagersfontein after the Rietkuil substation was destroyed on Sunday, when mud burst through a broken wall of a nearby mining dam, flooding the area,” said Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg, spokesperson for Eskom in the province. Janse van Rensburg has advised electricity users who are still without supply to report this to Centlec as they are the service provider.
Kido Thoabala, Bloem Water spokesperson, said bulk water is supplied at 100% capacity to the town in the event of the disaster, adding that the prior 30% supply was suspended indefinitely. “The 100% supply is only for Jagersfontein while the 30% supply is effective to the Kopanong Local Municipality. Bloem Water provides water to Charlesville through water-tanks given the infrastructure was impacted by mud spillage from the dam that collapsed,” said Thoabala. She said the Jagersfontein Developments mining company assisted with the recovery process.
Water supply at 30% to the cash-strapped, ANC-led municipality in the Xhariep District continues since February this year. This is owing to the municipality’s debt to Bloem Water, that reportedly stood at R9,5 million by December 2021. Debt continued to escalate due to authorities’ failure to settle the municipality’s account.
Despite several intervention processes aimed at addressing the municipality’s escalating debt, payments continued to be missed and the water supply crisis is experienced in all the nine towns under the Kopanong Municipality.
