Hundreds of students from four schools in Francistown’s Monarch location were dismissed early today due to a water shortage that has affected the area since Monday.
The water supply was cut off as Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) is installing new valves to prevent pipe bursts.
The affected schools are Mmei JSS, Selolwe JSS, Phatlogo Primary and Monarch Primary. Residents of Monarch, Phase V and VI have been without water for two days, forcing them to fetch water from a WUC stand pipe in Bluetown.
WUC has not given a clear timeline of when the water will be restored.
Monarch Councillor, Gopolang Almando, told Voice online that WUC is carrying out a necessary maintenance to install new valves that will reduce the frequency of pipe bursts. “The valves are a necessary evil… Unfortunately WUC has no alternative pipeline that could be supplying water while they are carrying out maintenance,” he said.
Almando said he suggested that WUC provide a water bowser for the residents, but he was not sure when it would arrive.
He said his main concern is that people need water and that WUC should prioritize the issue. ‘It’s not a small matter what they are engaged in. It may take a while, but you people need water, and that is the utmost priority,’ he said.