Water crisis in Westbury: Residents threaten protests over supply issues

WHILE water supply is slowly returning to some parts of Westbury and surrounding areas, residents have not ruled out a return to the streets should Mayor Dada Morero fail to live up to his promise of a full water supply restoration by tomorrow.

- SIYABONGA SITHOLE

This comes as Joburg Water has dispatched new water tank trucks to service affected Westbury and Coronationville, following the adoption of a masterplan and targeted interventions to resolve the challenge.

In Westbury, Coronationville, and Claremont, some residents who have endured prolonged water outages, sparking violent protests in the area, have revealed that of the 15 new trucks, only five are servicing their area, with reports that the city does not have enough drivers to operate the rest of the new fleet.

Bianca Olivier, a resident of Westbury, said the residents are questioning the mayor's promise to send more trucks and fix the water challenges, as some areas are still without water, while trucks have not been enough to ensure proper servicing of the people.

“The water had been returned, but not completely, as some streets either have low pressure or no water. We are thankful that the city has sent the trucks, but only five of the new trucks with bigger capacity have been sent out. The mayor promised us 15 trucks, but only five have come to Ward 82. When we asked why, they said they have a shortage of drivers, with 10 brand new trucks sitting at the depot,” Olivier said.