Maluti A Phofung water entity urges the residents of Qwaqwa to be careful when using water as the Fika Patso Dam has just a small amount of water remaining.
(The Post News)- It has just been announced that the Fika Patso dam in Qwaqwa, Free State might be closed if the rain during the summer season cannot pour as anticipated. This follows the critical conditions of the dam which is currently staying at less than 60% water level.
Almost 90% of Qwaqwa residents receive water from the Fika Patso dam while only 10% of them receive water from Makwane and Sterkfontein Dam.
Should the rainfall not respond as anticipated in the upcoming three months, the water utility of Maluti A Phofung Water (MAP Water) would have no choice but to shut down the dam.
Speaking to The Post News about this matter, Kelopile Mongake, the entity’s communications manager said, “The current situation forces us to put the new regulations into action to save the little that we have for our communities. If the dam keeps decreasing, the water supply will be opened to the residents on certain days,” says Mongake.
She adds that if the regulations are applied, the residents will be urged to store a certain amount of water to allow others to have it equally as well. “Irrigation or any other water-wasting method that consumes more water will be restricted during that period,” says Mongake.
She requested the residents to monitor each other to save water, as there would be penalties for those who don’t comply with the regularities. “Should we notice that some residents don’t comply, the dispute will end up reaching the court of law, and the judgment will be handed over,” she says.
Similarly, this will not be the first time Qwaqwa residents experience drought, as it once happened between 2014 and 2021 and led to the deployment of water trucks in all wards. There was no rain, and even the rivers were dry just like the islands.
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