Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Andre Kruger and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. See attached pictures here, here, here, and here.
The DA in Masilonyana will submit questions and a formal request for intervention to the municipality after an oversight visit revealed alarming security failures and operational neglect at the Theunissen Water Treatment Plant and water tower.
Upon arriving at the treatment plant, we found no security personnel present and the entrance gate unlocked.
We were on-site for almost 30 minutes before a security officer eventually noticed us from inside a locked building. No process controller was on site. During our inspection, we found the plant relatively clean, but there were clear signs of poor maintenance.
While the pumps were running, the agitator booms over the settling dams were not functioning due to missing parts. Although flocculant was being dosed into the raw water, the ineffective settling process poses a serious risk to the town’s water quality.
The sand filters were recently refurbished and are operating, and the main clear-water pump was running; however, there was no backup pump, and the deafening noise from the operating pump indicates imminent bearing failure. Open electrical panels at the starter presents a serious safety hazard.
Residents face unsafe drinking water, a higher risk of illness, and possible water shortages due to severe neglect at the treatment facilities.
A water-control valve was replaced only after weeks of breakdown, which had left the plant inoperable. Chemicals were on site, but they were being administered manually, with no proper equipment to ensure consistency or effectiveness. Outside, the transformers were not enclosed, security cameras were not functioning, and the laboratory had no pH meter. The bathrooms were also in a poor, unmaintained condition.
The Theunissen Water Treatment Plant is operating on autopilot, with no assurance of clean, safe, drinkable water. The municipality’s recently issued boil alert confirms these concerns.
During our visit on 26 November 2025, it was also clear that the water tower and pump station are severely neglected and not fully operational.
The tower, which should provide pressure to the entire town, has been vandalised yet again despite a previous refurbishment. It is currently being used as a shelter and toilet by individuals scavenging at the adjacent waste dump.
The site is completely unsecured, allowing anyone access to the stored water and posing a direct security threat to the entire town’s supply.
Masilonyana Municipality is neglecting its responsibility to provide safe, clean water to the people of Theunissen, and the DA will ensure accountability and immediate corrective action.