GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, handed a certificate to Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality Mayor Willem Safers over the weekend, officially declaring the newly completed water plants ready to provide water to the residents of Klipplaat and Jansenville.
Majodina urged Safers to ensure that the new infrastructure was well managed and maintained to ensure a reliable water supply for these small communities.
Welcome relief
The plants are part of the Ikwezi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation to the tune of R67-million through a Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG).
This is a welcome relief for a municipality that struggles to provide drinking water to the area.
The project will improve water supply to the 2 215 residents of Klipplaat and to Jansenville's 5 612 residents.
Klipplaat
In Klipplaat the project entails the construction of a new Water Treatment Works that treats 1,2 million litres of water per day, an 0,8 million litre storage reservoir and pump stations. The new plant replaces an old one which produced 0,3 megalitres of water.
A raw water pipeline from the Klipfontein Dam to the water treatment works and to the water reservoir was installed at the water treatment works.
In addition, one borehole was drilled and installed and two existing ones were refurbished to augment water supply.
Jansenville
A new water treatment works producing 1,2 megalitres was also constructed at Jansenville.
Six boreholes were refurbished and a reconfiguration of a new water pipeline was done from the boreholes to the reservoirs.
Previously, tap water was undrinkable due to a bad smell caused by hydrogen sulfide gas released from the boreholes' aquifers. The problem of contaminated water has since been resolved through the use of nanotechnology.
Majodina urged the municipality and residents to also play their part. "While we celebrate the improved water supply, the municipality must repair water leaks to prevent water losses.
"The community must also pay their municipal bills so that the municipality can reinvest revenue generated from water supply back into water provision and for operation and maintenance.
"Sustainable water supply will also result in improved economic development in the area, because investors will be encouraged to invest if reliable water is available," she said.
'Look after your water'
The minister urged the Klipplaat community to look after the water infrastructure and protect it from vandalism.
She also encouraged residents to save water and to report water leaks to the municipality.
The community also raised their concerns saying that some water meters are leaking and that low water pressure is an issue.
The municipality made an undertaking to address these issues.
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