Update on Water Crisis Engagement with Bitou Municipality

Dear Members,

We wish to update you on the Ratepayers Association’s ongoing attempts over several months to secure meaningful engagement with Bitou Municipality regarding the worsening water crisis in our town.

Our efforts began as far back as December 2024, when we met with the Director of Engineering and senior management to begin drafting short, medium- and long-term plans to address the deteriorating water situation. Unfortunately, that process gained limited traction. Recognising that conditions were continuing to worsen, we submitted a formal request for an urgent leadership meeting on 17 November 2025, emphasising the need for immediate intervention, clear responsibilities, and decisive short-term actions.

Despite these continued efforts, the Municipality has not convened the requested meeting, even as water restrictions have escalated and the system remains increasingly fragile.

Over the past week, our organization, along with many residents and civic groups, submitted a detailed set of questions for the live public Q&A session initially scheduled for 1 December. This session was postponed, citing “low uptake,” despite the lack of any registration process and despite substantial public interest.

An online session was eventually held on 4 December, but the engagement fell short of providing the clarity and accountability the community urgently requires. Responses were frequently unclear, inaudible, or lacking detail, no firm timelines or responsible parties were identified and key operational issues were not adequately addressed.

The Provincial technical support team that assessed Bitou on 3 December reportedly indicated that the medium-term outlook is stable. However, no guidance was provided on immediate, high-risk, short-term interventions, such as restoring the desalination plant to full capacity, enabling extraction from the Roodefontein Dam, or prioritising urgent repairs and maintenance. These omissions are particularly worrying as we approach a forecasted low rainfall, high-season period, when demand for water increases dramatically.

We are further concerned by the absence of action on longstanding infrastructure needs, chronic underspending on capital and repairs budgets, and ongoing staff vacancies in the Water Department.  These are all issues we have repeatedly raised.

In addition, the Mayor’s rejection of a temporary moratorium on new development applications, which means new house builds continue unabated, raises serious questions about sustainability and planning.

Given these concerns, we have formally requested that future briefings be upgraded to a combined in-person and online meeting, held at the Piesang Valley Community Hall, to allow broader public participation. Many residents are not comfortable with online platforms, and transparent, face-to-face communication is essential for rebuilding trust.

To provide clarity for members, the key unanswered questions we continue to press the Municipality on include:

Key Questions Requiring Answers

1. Water Consumption & Communication
   Has water usage decreased since Stage 3 restrictions were implemented? If not, what communication strategy is planned to improve compliance?
2. Staffing
   Is HR actively recruiting to fill critical Water Department vacancies?
3. Roodefontein Dam Extraction
   What is the status of the agreement to extract water from the Roodefontein Dam, and when will the Keurbooms transfer pipeline be reinstated?
4. Development Pressures
   Will Council halt or limit new housing development approvals until water and sewerage capacity is stabilised?
5. Budget Prioritisation
   Will water and sewerage infrastructure—historically underspent—be prioritised in the upcoming budget cycle?
6. Day-Zero Contingency
   What is the plan should river flows again fall below extraction levels? How many emergency water points will be established, and where?

We remain committed to constructive engagement and to offering our assistance wherever it can help the Municipality respond effectively to this crisis. We will continue to advocate for transparency, urgency, and accountability on behalf of the community and will keep you informed as developments occur. In the meantime, we suggest you join the Bitou Services whatsapp group for daily updates:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/E6R7K4pFfnLKau5eelSte8.