Late in 2019, the City of Ekurhuleni embarked on an R103-million project to build a 30-megalitre water reservoir to supply water to existing Boksburg communities and the expected thousands of new households and public amenities.
The reservoir, which has a capacity of 30 megalitres, is being constructed next to the existing 20-megalitre reservoir near the Boksburg licensing department.
During a recent tour of the facility by the Advertiser, Ward 32 Clr Marius de Vos expressed satisfaction with the progress on the construction of the water infrastructure, which he said once completed will help address the dwindling water supply in Boksburg.
“I’ve been closely monitoring the project, and I’m confident it is going the right way. Despite a few hiccups brought by lockdown restrictions, I’m still happy with the construction progress, as it has generally been quite steady.
Growing water demand
“As always, upgrading of the City’s ageing infrastructure is an important issue to help meet the ever-growing demand in Boksburg, where we have seen a drastic population growth. As part of the Leeuwpoort Housing Project, we are also expecting thousands of new households and public amenities.
De Vos hopes residents in the areas affected by the mega-housing project, such as Parkdene, Sunward Park and Reiger Park, also welcome this project with happy hearts because water supply was among the many issues they raised in their objections related to the then proposed mega-housing project in their neighbourhoods.
“I commend the residents of Parkdene who forced the hand of both the developer of Parkdene Extension Seven housing project and the municipality to amend the EIA to increase bulk services to Boksburg.
“The construction of the 30-megalitre reservoir is as a result of the resilience of the thousand-plus residents who objected successfully to the development in its initial form. The reservoir under construction will definitely keep the taps running,” said de Vos.
Contractor
The water infrastructure is being built by Makhado Project Management, which is known for its extensive expertise in the construction sector, and has built about 40 water reservoirs across the country and further afield.
According to the site manager, Prince Gumede, their initial plan was to finish the Boksburg project this year, but due to additional works and the few delays caused by hard lockdown, the new set completion date is January.
“We are almost there. We are busy with the roof and once completed, we will focus on the additional associated works,” said Gumede.
Empowerment
Apart from providing scores of locals with job opportunities, the project has also empowered dozens of young local men and women with formal skills in the construction sector.
Locals were provided with training by construction specialists and will be certificated to carry out their newly acquired skills in the industry.
The ward councillor pointed out that what impressed him most is the fact that the project provided young men and women with job opportunities and new skills.
He added that there are many other water infrastructure construction projects underway across the City of Ekurhuleni with others already completed.
Also Read: Always keep water safety in mind, no matter the season
