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Amathole District Municipality (ADM), in collaboration with Amatola Water Board and Ngqushwa Local Municipality, held a productive engagement with Bell Village residents in Ward 5, Hamburg, as part of the post-Integrated Development Plan (IDP) roadshow. The session focused on addressing critical service delivery challenges, particularly water shortages in the area.
Ngqushwa Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Sanga Maneli, opened the meeting by highlighting key issues impacting service delivery particularly infrastructure capacity and illegal water connections.
“Bell Village relies on a reservoir that serves this ward and surrounding areas. However, illegal connections, growing demand, and insufficient water conservation have strained its capacity,” Maneli explained. He reassured residents that temporary measures, such as water rationing, are in place to ease the burden while long-term solutions are developed.
ADM Municipal Manager, Dr. Bhekisisa Mthembu, provided clarity on the technical challenges “The pipeline connecting Crossroad, Bell, and Bodium was designed for public standpipes. With the rise in illegal household tap connections, the system is overburdened, causing low water pressure and shortages,” Dr. Mthembu noted.
To address these issues, ADM, Amatola Water, and Ngqushwa Local Municipality pledged to implement sustainable solutions, including upgrading the pipeline infrastructure to improve water pressure and ensure equitable distribution across the area