Water shortages in Mauritius: How are you coping with the cuts?

@Veedushi

Hi Veedushi

I live in the centre of the island and it's been very hard lately. With only 2 hours of water per day, the water tank wasn't able to get filled properly so I haven't been getting adequate water supply for my needs

And they're saying the situation is only getting worse so I'm really worried especially now that summer is nearly here

And the government is only now trying to think about solutions

I am in Grand Gaube & in the last month there were days where NO water came in. There were  a couple of occasions where we got NO water for a couple of days running.

Some neighbours rang CWA to bring them water which is apparently free, but, CWA never turned up. I rang CWA a few times a couple of years ago & they never showed up. Once we stopped the CWA truck in our street & told him we had requested water a week ago & asked him if he could fill our tank. He said he would only do it if we gave him 1000r. I no longer ring CWA because it is a pointless exercise. Apparently, they only go & fill the tanks of people they know will give them a tip. There are private water truck that deliver water, but, when water is scarce they ask for a hilarious amount of money. Last week a neighbour was quoted 5000r to fill 1 tank!

Some people have an extra tank or 2 they keep full when there is plenty of water coming & this acts as a reserve. But with extended families, their reserve only lasts a few days & then they are waterless when no water is coming in for a couple of days or weeks.

Some people have a 'booster pump'. Apparently, this is illegal depending on where it is installed. But, these people previously went weeks without enough water & said they had no other option. These are the people that rarely go without water.

Obviously, we need to save water for essentials. But, if your tank is empty, there is NO water to save. I have a water filter & keep it topped up & fill water bottles for drinking water & cooking. But, if the tank is empty, that is all I have. People are going without showering, washing dishes & washing clothes & having to put toilet paper in the bin so as not to block their toilet because they cannot flush. I put a bucket under my downpipe for rainwater. If I need to & it rains, I can use this to have a quick bathe or wash dishes - luckily, I only had to do this a couple of times.

I am environmentally friendly & never waste water even if it is plentiful - my CWA bill is only 55r per month. So, it is a real pain in the ??? when I have little water. We can all do what we can to save water to try & still be able to do our necessities. But, this is often not enough. So, I think it is up to CWA/Mauritius government to find as solution to this problem. They could start by fixing their leaky trucks - I have seen a couple of CWA trucks leaking large amounts of precious water from their truck hoses whilst driving. Also, perhaps CWA could control the distribution of water better. There seems to be pockets of people around here that often have water shortages & other pockets where people are always getting water.  Also, perhaps CWA could better control water when it is plentiful to cater for when it will be scarce.

I never went without water in Australia. Even when Queensland was in severe drought, the government controlled it well. We were asked to conserve water Eg, have 2 minute showers, only flush for number 2, use your broom instead of the hose, etc.

As a result of water issues, I have a greater appreciation for water coming out of the tap when I turn it on!