Oubaai residents without water for more than eight days

GEORGE NEWS - Residents of the luxury Oubaai Golf Estate in Herolds Bay say they have been without running water for more than eight days, with repeated disruptions affecting the Oubaai, Breakwater Bay and Dutton’s Cove area, while other parts of Herold’s Bay appear largely unaffected.

A series of updates circulated by the Oubaai Homeowners’ Association (HOA) and George Municipality indicates that the ongoing interruption is linked to a problem on the R102/Airport Road supply line, which has been affecting water flow into local reservoirs.

Municipal notices over the past few days confirm that teams have been working on-site to address an obstruction, later described as an airlock issue, as well as a leak and reduced flow in the main supply line.

Residents are frustrated with the situation.

“I am a very frustrated resident this morning after promises and promises with no results, working through the night to resolve. They said each morning we wake up and there is nothing,” said Mark Brown on Wednesday, 27 May.

According to updates, the Oubaai reservoir has repeatedly run empty during the period, while the Herold’s Bay reservoir has remained at low levels.

At one stage, the municipality reported that Oubaai’s reservoir was empty, while Herold’s Bay was sitting at around 33% capacity.

A water tanker has been deployed to the Oubaai/Breakwater Bay entrance to assist affected residents while repairs continue.

Through WhatsApp communication, the municipality has stated that although the obstruction and leak have been addressed, water flow into the reservoirs remains restricted due to persistently low pressure. Further updates are expected as teams continue work on the system.

Brown expressed his frustration over the prolonged interruption and its effect on daily household routines.

“We have been showering at family, using pond water to flush toilets and buying 25-litre water containers to fill at the water trucks for cooking and cleaning. Laundry is piling up, and the dishwasher is packed for when the water returns.

I think the reservoir will be depleted quickly, as most households are doing the same and will still shower once water is back. We have even switched off the geyser to prevent element burnout in case the geyser water levels drop.”

In the latest WhatsApp update from the municipality, they say teams remain on-site and have removed an obstruction and repaired a leak in the supply line.

“However, the water flow into reservoirs remains impeded with extremely low water pressure,” reads the message. A water tanker is stationed at the Oubaai/Breakwater Bay Entrance. Further updates will be posted at 15:00.”

A water tanker deployed in Oubaai.