19 Jan 2025

 Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) service centre in Kanye has reported challenges regarding water reticulation in the village, which were also exacerbated during the festive season by disruptions at the Moralane pump stations and Masama boreholes.

Kanye requires 15 million litres of water daily, sourced from boreholes and the North-South Carrier (NSC), which provide seven and eight million litres respectively.

However, the service centre finds itself receiving less than eight million litres from the NSC, owing to a number of reasons.

In an interview last week, general manager Mr Monametsi Ramosu explained that the recent heavy rains during the holidays led to water supply issues facing Kanye and surrounding villages.

He noted that thunderstorms damaged the electricity supply necessary for operation of their pump stations.

This situation necessitated urgent repairs to restore water services, including the replacement of components affected by the storms.

The Masama wellpoint, crucial for delivering high-pressure water to greater Gaborone, including Kanye, was unable to meet demand during December, he said.

Mr Ramosu emphasised that WUC worked diligently to keep the community informed about the developments related to the water shortages by utilising social media and public announcement systems for communication.

He added that as part of their efforts to improve communication, WUC was in the process of implementing SMS alerts to enhance updates for their customers, particularly during critical service interruptions.

He acknowledged challenges in communication with residents, especially when maintenance work was outsourced to contractors which sometimes failed to report issues such as broken pipe in a timely manner.

Mr Ramosu assured residents that those communication issues were being addressed.

He also expressed concern regarding the ongoing vandalism of water reticulation infrastructure by some community members, noting that such acts disrupted water flow and strained the corporation's budget due to increased repair costs.

He warned the public about dangers associated with tampering with high-pressure water distribution pipes, which could result in severe injuries or fatalities.

The Kanye service centre continues to prioritise restoring service reliability while addressing the challenges posed by both natural and human factors, he said. ENDS