Plans in the pipe line to bring water to the city
Two possible solutions to relieving the water shortage currently being experienced in the city are under investigation by the department of water affairs (DWA) following discussions with the Polokwane Municipality and Lepelle Northern Water.
POLOKWANE – Two possible solutions to relieving the water shortage currently being experienced in the city are under investigation by the department of water affairs (DWA) following discussions with the Polokwane Municipality and Lepelle Northern Water.
According to Polokwane mayor, Freddy Greaver, who spoke at the State of the City address last week, with normal usage, the city already experiences a shortage of 43Ml water per day.
The first option being considered is a R230 million project to increase the capacity of water sourced from the Ebenezer plant, to be completed within 18 months from start to finish.
The second option is a R1,2 billion project to bring water from the Olifantspoort plant, which will take 30 months longer to complete.
The present supply to Polokwane from the Ebenezer Dam is 42Ml per day.
The present approved allocation from Olifantspoort for the city is 60Ml per day.
It is proposed that an additional 60Ml per day be approved, of which 27Ml per day be supplied to Polokwane.
Lepelle-Northern Water has submitted an application to the DWA for the increase of water allocation to the city.
Greaver said the Ebenezer project would bring the relief needed much sooner and was the cheapest option.
“The city experiences an average of 10 water pipe bursts daily due to old and dilapidated infrastructure. This costs the city R52 million in water losses alone, not taking into account operational costs, labour, overtime or the loss to the city’s economy when there is no water,” he said.
Greaver said this problem needed to be resolved as a matter of extreme urgency and he was considering inviting investors to assist with providing infrastructure without the municipality having to pay for it.
The municipality had budgeted R6 million to refurbish the old asbestos pipe system during the 2014/15 financial year, and wished to encourage all residents to use water sparingly and report any illegal water use and pipe leakages to the municipality, Greaver further said.
An amount of R122 million was budgeted through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for the provision of water infrastructure in rural areas.
During the 2014/15 financial year, Polokwane would continue with its programme of improving access to water through implementation of capital projects in 14 regional water schemes, he said.
