GEORGE NEWS - The tourism-dependent Wilderness was plunged into crisis, with large parts of the village all the way through to Kleinkrantz left dry for more than a week after the taps had run empty late last week.

As households queued for water and guest houses turned visitors away at the height of the season, anger mounted over what residents said were years of neglected infrastructure and a municipality slow to act.

The outage is due to a blockage caused by historic debris inside the closed main supply line below Akela Reservoir.

Charl Jacobs, chairperson of the Wilderness Ratepayers and Residents Association (WRRA), said the crisis reflects years of deteriorating infrastructure. "The concern raised by the WRRA is that the Municipality of George possibly lacks the foresight to recognise that Wilderness depends on tourism. In most developing countries, tourism plays a big part in stimulating local and provincial economies. The fact that there are huge water supply issues in Wilderness does not come as a surprise, and the WRRA has noted a deterioration in the infrastructure over the past five years."

A municipal water tanker brings much-needed relief to Kleinkrantz residents. Photo: Sanjay Lalwani

Jacobs said the residents fear Wilderness has been forgotten by the municipality. He added that private individuals and the WRRA have taken over duties they believe should fall under municipal responsibility, while political instability has not helped. "As the stepchild of George, we have seen three different mayors in 18 months. We hope for stability so that better decisions can be made. The ratepayers here contribute significantly to the municipal economy and have faced massive rate hikes without seeing proper maintenance of water infrastructure. We urgently need special attention to resolve the demands for water supply in Wilderness."

Local businesses say the outage is hitting tourism at the worst possible time. "My guests could not even flush the toilets and I had to close tonight," said Karen Honiball of InkFish Loft and PuffFish Loft.

Interlaken Guest House's owner, Tyler Engelbrecht, said European visitors are struggling to understand the scale of the disruption. He has already processed cancellations and refunds, adding that every establishment is feeling the financial pressure.

At Red Door Cottage, owner Quinton Hewitt said guests have been calling from Cape Town and Gqeberha asking if they should cancel. Within a week he refunded R5 000 to American tourists who turned around on arrival, while another guest demanded a 50% discount. He has since invested R35 000 in back-up systems and fears smaller establishments will not cope.

George Municipality's spokesperson, Chantèl Edwards, said the area is inaccessible and standard detection technology is ineffective due to sea and wind noise. Two temporary bypass lines are being installed to stabilise supply.

A civil engineering project is also being planned to replace the temporary pipe section installed after the 2019 failure, forming part of a broader upgrade programme to strengthen bulk supply to Wilderness, Hoekwil, Kleinkrantz and surrounding areas. The municipality said it recognises Wilderness' reliance on tourism and is working continuously to restore full supply, with water trucks being deployed to support the residents.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, 26 November, just before going to press, the municipality said a temporary 700m long, 100mm diameter line from Akela Reservoir to the Kaaiman's Train Bridge was currently supplying water to Wilderness and surrounding areas. A new 200m section of 200mm diameter pressure line had also been completed. The main supply line blockage had been cleared and the pipeline was being scoured to remove debris.

Municipal workers must carry the heavy pipes up a steep slope below Dolphin Point, along the railway tracks between Victoria Bay and Kaaimans Bridge.

The municipality said once the scouring was completed, the temporary pipeline would be briefly shut to reconnect the main line. Both pipelines would then operate together. Full water flow was expected by early yesterday evening, pending no further issues.

As of 14:06 today, some residents in Wilderness East and all of Kleinkrantz were still without water.

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