The water and sanitation woes of residents will hopefully soon be over as the muncipality is hard at work improving its services. According to Water and Sanitation Manager Japie van Oudtshoorn, the muncipality is currently busy with the development of a new sewage system to serve both Hazyview and Shabalala but are having trouble acquiring the piece of land they need for it. Van Oudsthoorn also proudly stated that the service delivery has improved greatly and he is motivating the workers to continue their good work.
The lack of a proper sewage system and the problems residents face can apparently be contributed to the fact that Hazyview was supposed to be a holiday town, with residents living there for only three months of the year. This is also the reason why septic tanks were allowed and why the water treatment plant is inadequate for the amount of people it needs to serve now.
To ease the burden on the plants somewhat, the municipality has finished with the upgrade of Twin City’s pump stations (which is valued at R500 000) and are planning to upgrade the pumps of the water treatment plant. Van Oudtshoorn says they are planning to upgrade the upgrade the current sewage treatment plan to increase the capacity from 700m3 to 1 500m3.
Regarding the water quality, residents can be at ease, as Sabie’s water is some of the cleanest in the area, according to the water and sanitation manager. Van Oudtshoorn says there are few industries in Hazyview’s cachement area, with the exception of farmers’ fertilizer, that can cause pollution.
According to statistics, Hazyview’s water is much cleaner than that of White River and Nelspruit, with low counts of E.coli in the raw water and no E.Coli in the treated water.
Van Oudtshoorn mentions that the water is sometimes brown due to it percolating in leaves in the veld and then flowing into the cachement systems. He also mentioned that the recent water problems residents experienced was due to two of the raw water pump station that was damaged during a storm.
To see what the quality of the drinking water in your area is like, check out the My Water widget at ww.mbombela.gov.za.
Residents are encourage to use water sparingly as water levels are low and water restrictions could come into effect if usage increases. If you have children in your household, get them to check if all the taps in and around the house are properly closed and discourage water wastage.
To report any water or sewerage leaks, breakdowns in pipes or other related problems, phone 013-750-6021. Ask for a reference number when reporting a problem as this helps to keep track of your complaint.
