1. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) issued the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality with a Directive dated 4 November 2019, to which the Municipality responded on 18 November 2019, confirming that all three sewage pump stations are repaired & operational 24 hours per day and evidence of spill areas have all been rehabilitated. Procurement of new pumps to ensure back up pumps in each pump station will take twelve (12) weeks to implement.
2. The Department, Regional Office in the Eastern Cape has allocated R 7 mil WSIG funds to Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality for planned projects in the 2019/20 financial year. Due to the declaration of drought disaster, DWS has allowed the WSIG funds to be re-prioritised and most of these funds have been assigned to emergency water supply schemes.
3. The Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality has rehabilitated each site by removing solids, papers and screenings for safe disposal, disinfecting the sites and improving general housekeeping at all three sites to comply with industry norms & standards.
4. The Department (DWS) has allowed the WSIG to be re-prioritised and most of these funds have been assigned to emergency water supply schemes. Emergency Drought funding of R 30.02 mil has been given by National Treasury in 2018/9 and Provincial GoGTA has granted R 6.4 mil for drought interventions to drill & equip a total of nine (9) boreholes in the 2019/20 financial year.