Municipality takes over water supply for Bushbuckridge area
From Monday July 1 the municipality is responsible for bulk water production and distribution within the municipal jurisdiction.
On June 28 the executive mayor of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM), Cllr Sylvia Nxumalo, gave a media briefing on the termination of Rand Water Board as the supplier of bulk water to the area.
She said the municipality had been hard at work for about two years to take over the water provision. From Monday July 1 the municipality is responsible for bulk water production and distribution within the municipal jurisdiction.
The contract termination was done in an amicable way, with BLM leading in a number of agreements entered into between the parties and labour unions Nehawu and Samwu.
She said the termination was done in the best interests of the community and the financial viability of the municipality. “Our financial forecast indicates that the municipality will save a fortune when this function is performed in-house, since Rand Water is charging approximately R23 million monthly for bulk water supply.”
The municipality will absorb some of the Rand Water Board employees to ensure uninterrupted distribution of water to the community. This includes all staff involved in the day-to-day functions of purification and distribution.
She reiterated that everybody should use water sparingly and immediately report leakages to ward councillors and municipal offices. The municipality would introduce a reporting system soon that will allow the public to report service delivery issues easily.
“I assure the public that we are positive and confident that the municipality will provide the residents of Bushbuckridge with clean water according to national standards and norms,” she promised. “It is our responsibility to ensure that we don’t fail our people and ensure that we fulfill our constitutional mandate,” she concluded.
