The City of uMhlathuze Full-Council has approved several urgent interventions aimed at curbing the recurring water supply interruptions in the eSikhaleni Cluster. The Cluster consists of areas of KwaDube, eSikhaleni Suburb, Port Dunford, INiwe, Mangezi Reserve, Khandisa Reserve, Felixton, Vulindlela and Dlangezwa.
Council has instructed administration to begin work immediately to avert any further major interruptions. Council also approved medium and long-term plans to reticulate water in all the affected areas especially in Ward 18 and 22.
Council has approved the following projects on its meeting held yesterday:
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Placing of a Package Plant and construction of 2x 3 Mega litres for Gobandlovu and Madlankala (Ward 12 and 14).
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New five additional Council owned water tankers.
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Construction of a Pump Station in Reservoir U (Ward 10-Nkonjane)
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Pump Stations for Reservoir B (Ntingweni) 2 mega litres and Reservoir C 1 Mega litre (Mangezi/Khandisa Reserve).
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Ward 18 and Ward 22 reticulation
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Forest Reservoir Pump Station (eSikhaleni Cemeteries).
Pump stations will push water supply to cover all low and high lying areas, which were affected by the gravitational force that is currently in place. Status quo affects mainly outer lying areas during restrictions.
Interventions will also see the reticulation of water through new pipeline from Nsezi Water Treatment Works to eSikhaleni Reservoirs that will supplement the Cubhu pipeline.
Long-term interventions will see the extension of the Cubhu Lake to a new capacity of 60 Mega Litres per day compared to the 36 Mega Litres currently. The current demand of 45 Mega Litres required per day is not sufficient to cover the fast growing population at eSikhaleni Cluster.
Mayor Cllr Mduduzi Mhlongo said Council will be closely monitoring the implementation of these projects.
“We will be closely monitoring all the interventions on a day to day basis to ensure that they are implemented on time as per the commitment made by the administration to Council. These are urgent attempts to ensure that we do not experience the intermittent water supply, which has seen community members taking to the streets. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, some projects were halted resulting in some financial savings on a number of such projects. We have agreed to redirect those monies to the water interventions at eSikhaleni Cluster instead of allowing National Treasury to forfeit them. With regards to Ntambanana Water Reticulation Projects, the City has received several objections on the tender processes that will delay the projects until towards the end of financial year. We could not therefore allow grant funds and other city funds to be forfeited while we have urgent needs to fix our supply in other areas. Monies taken from other projects will be replaced in the next financial year beginning of July 2021,” Mhlongo said.
Mhlongo pleaded with the affected community members to allow municipal officials to work and implement all the intervention projects. “Community must seize to damage public and municipal infrastructure and clear the roads to allow work to be done as swiftly as possible. We appreciate the urgency of these projects hence Council has unanimously approved them,” Mhlongo pleaded.
Council also requested the Municipal Manager Mr Lulamile Mapholoba to institute an investigation to any possible negligence or sabotage in the water supply system and the constant pipe bursts even on the newly laid pipelines.
