Update: City responds to Kraaifontein's water crisis with tanker delivery

A week after Northern News reported that the Covid Informal Settlement had been without drinking water for more than 12 months in Kraaifontein, the City dispatched a water tanker to provide water to the area.

The residents said the tanker has been providing water every second day since Monday, August 11.

The Covid Informal Settlement in Bloekombos was established during lockdown in 2020 by residents who could not afford to rent properties or those seeking independence from their families. 

They had to endure a lack of access to drinking water after the City of Cape Town’s water tanker was stopped around June last year. 

The area was surveyed in 2023, and the total number of structures was recorded as more than 7 550, according to the City’s Human Settlements Directorate.

A community activist, Thabo Kolwana, said they were grateful for the tanker but hoped that the City could install water standpipes as a permanent solution.

The City's Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, previously said a study will be conducted to assess the possibility of installing standpipes in the area.

Here are dos and don'ts provided by the City to save water and keep the tanker in good condition:

DO:

• Maximise water usage – water does not need to be used only once
• Collect rainwater for washing clothes
• Ensure collection containers are clean
• Keep an eye on your container when filling up to avoid spills and water loss
• Allow the City personnel the space to safely fill up your container
• Ensure that your hands are clean when handling your water containers
• Ensure that you can safely handle your filled container without causing injuries to yourself
• Keep clear of the water tanker when it has to move off to prevent accidents

DON’T

• Damage or rough-handle the water tanker to ensure a continued water supply for the community
• Overcrowd the water tanker
• Collect water for drinking purposes in dirty containers
• Leave water containers out in the open where the water can become contaminated
• Obstruct the water tanker or its equipment during the process of distributing water