Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has handed over a certificate of the completed water treatment works plant located in Klipplaat, Eastern Cape, declaring that the plant is ready to provide quality drinking water to residents.
The plant is part of the Ikwezi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation to the tune of R67 million through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG).
The plant is set to benefit the 2 215-strong population of Klipplaat, and an estimated population of 5 612 in the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality.
Majodina handed over the plant to Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality (DBNLM) Mayor, Willem Safers, during a ceremony held at the Klipplaat Water Treatment Works over the weekend.
The project includes the construction of a new water treatment works that treats 1.2 million litres of water per day; a 0.8 million litres storage reservoir and pump stations, which will supply the community of Klipplaat. The new plant replaces an old pipe, which produced 0.3 mega litres of water for the Klipplaat community.
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, with two existing boreholes refurbished to augment water supply to the community.
A new water treatment works, producing 1.2 megalitres of water, was also constructed in Jansenville, where 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 using nanotechnology.
Majodina urged Safers to ensure that the newly built infrastructure is well managed and maintained to ensure reliability and assurance of water supply for the small community in the Karoo.
The Minister said the project has improved water supply to the area and also improved the quality of drinking water.
"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 provisioning and for operation and maintenance.
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"Sustainable water supply will also result in improved economic development in the area because investors will be encouraged to invest in the area because of the reliable water supply," Majodina said.
Following the handover of the project to the municipality, Majodina held a ministerial community engagement at Klipplaat Community Hall, where she urged the community to look after the water infrastructure and protect it from vandalism.
She also encouraged residents to save water and report water leaks to the municipality.
During the engagement, the community was also given an opportunity to engage with the Minister, and to raise their concerns on water-related challenges.
The community expressed gratitude for the water project, which has alleviated their water challenges.
Among the concerns raised include the issue of leaking water meters and weak water pressure.
The municipality made an undertaking to address all the issues raised.
