Water upgrade rejected
A report aimed at upgrading Tshwane’s own water plants was rejected in the metro council.
A report aimed at upgrading Pretoria’s own water plants to make the Tshwane metro more self-sufficient was bluntly rejected by the powers that be.
Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa last week removed the report from the agenda of the last council meeting of the year without giving any explanation for his move.
The report suggested that the metro upgraded its water plants at the Rietvlei and Roodeplaat dams to ensure less dependency on Rand Water for water supply.
Tshwane currently receives 68% of its water from the Vaal River through Rand Water. However, Rand Water has already reached the limit of water supply from the Vaal.
Water supply from the Vaal River would only increase in 2024 when the next phase of the Lesotho Highlands water project was completed.
According to the report, a study conducted by the municipality which was completed last year, found that the water plant at the Rietvlei Dam could be extended and upgraded from 40 million litres to 240 million.
Roodeplaat Dam could be extended from 60 million litres to 240 million, the report stated.
Because of the limit reached by the Vaal River system, it was important for Tshwane to be more self-reliant where water supply was concerned if the metro was to deliver on the projected demands, the report stated.
Therefore the upgrade of the water plants at the two local dams was imperative, concludes the report.
It was drafted by advisors tasked with performing studies about the sustainability of water in the metro and to get a third party involved to do the upgrade at the two dams.
However, Ramokgopa removed the item from the agenda without any discussion about his decision.
“This is once again a case of politics being more important than common sense,” observers said.
Mayoral spokesperson Blessing Manale was reported as saying that Ramokgopa had exercised his prerogative to remove reports tabled at the council meetings.
There were several reports prepared for the monthly council meetings that were removed during or sometimes even before the meeting, Manale said.
“This was merely one of those reports,” Manale reportedly said.
Meanwhile, water was still leaking from at least two major reservoirs in the east of the city.
Sources who wished not to be identified claimed that the municipality currently had no spare parts to fix faulty valves at the reservoirs in Moreleta Park and Groenkloof.
However, the metro earlier said that the leaks were receiving urgent attention and would be fixed soon.
Despite the rain and one heavy storm that hit the capital in the past weeks, the drought was by no means broken and water restrictions remained in place.
Consumers were urged by the metro to use water sparingly to prevent water cuts in Pretoria.
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