While Polokwane is in a continuous battle for constant water supply where every drop counts, a the plant operator’s daily report indicates a huge daily loss that if fixed, could secure water to thousands of residents.

The report, of which Polokwane Observer has a copy of, indicates that more than a million litres of water per day, are lost.

DA councillor and water and sanitation portfolio member Johan Retters confirms that, based on the report, the actual figure is between one and 1.8 million litres of water that cannot be accounted for per day.

“After an oversight to the Dalmada water purification plant, we have established that water losses occur from faulty valves and leaking from the sand filters,” Retters says.

The Dalmada water purification plant receives water from the Dap Naudé water scheme which falls under the management of the Polokwane Municipality.

The DA will submit questions for written response to the Polokwane Municipality’s acting municipal manager, NR Selepe, on the state of the plant and that of the Dap Naudé water scheme.

“We are concerned that the sluices at Dap Naudé Dam have been malfunctioning for many years. The seals between the dam wall and the sluices are clearly not maintained and causes massive leaks of unmeasurable water losses.”

Retters emphasises that Polokwane Municipality officers know about the maintenance issues.

“The matter has been brought to their attention, and in the current state of water supply this problem deprives many residents living in the municipal area of their right to access drinking water,” Retters comments.

In her audit of municipalities for the 2020/2021 financial year, the Auditor-General expressed her concern over R561.1m in reported water losses incurred by municipalities in the province.

“Residents of Polokwane and surrounding developments have been plagued by a shortage of water and water-shedding for years. An additional 5 000 people can receive drinking water every day if the municipality tends to the faults at the Dalmada water purification plant.

It is unacceptable that, considering the pressures on our water security in the province, such a large amount of water never reaches the people who need it the most,” Retters says.

He says the DA requires transparency in the way water resources are managed and will request council to approve a water audit to determine the exact amount of water losses from the municipal distribution system.

Polokwane municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala says he will follow up. The municipality’s comment will be published once received.