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Enquiries: T Ntili
Telephone: 051 405 9000
Reference: 6/2/2/6
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 487
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 SEPTEMBER 2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25 )
487. Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental
Affairs:
Whether her Department has been requested to assist the Setsoto
Municipality regarding the water crisis in the towns of (a) Marquard,
(b) Senekal, (c) Clocolan and (d) Ficksburg in the Free State; if not,
what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant
details?
CW592E
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REPLY:
Yes, the Department has been requested to assist the Setsoto Local
Municipality regarding the water crisis in the towns of (a) Marquard,
(b) Senekal, (c) Clocolan and (d) Ficksburg in the Free State as
follows:
a) Marquard
The Department ensured that the Marquard raw water balancing dam is
repaired to be able to store water as soon as it rains. There is work
done towards the development and equipment of five boreholes as an
emergency to supply the Marquard town with some water. As a long term
solution, we are currently constructing a pipeline between Clocolan
and Marquard funded under the Departmentâs Regional Bulk
Infrastructure Grant Programme, in order to be able to transfer water
from the Meulspruit Dam to Marquard.
The Department provides engineering and technical oversight on the
implementation of an emergency water supply scheme to supply Clocolan
and Marquard with water from the Caledon River. The estimated cost of
the emergency scheme is R2, 5 million. The Department of Cooperative
Governance and Traditional Affairs has also approved the funds. The
first project meeting to implement this intervention took place on 6
September 2012. The estimated project time is 30 working days.
b) Senekal
The Department has conducted the implementation readiness study to
assist the Setsoto Local Municipality with water supply through the
Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant with an allocation of R5,0 million
to implement the following activities as phase1:
⢠Currently, conducting the hydrological study to determine the
capacity required for the Sand Spruite and Sand River weirs at
Deput and Cyferfontien Dams for sustainable water supply.
⢠Conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment and feasibility
study for the raising of Deput Dam.
⢠Conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment and feasibility
study for abstraction of more water from the Sand River to the
Cyfontein Dam.
⢠construction of the raw water pipeline from the proposed Rosendal
raw water storage facility to Senekal.
The Department has also recommended the exploration and development of
the borehole at the Senekal through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant
as an alternative water supply source.
c) Clocolan
The Department has technically assisted the Setsoto Local Municipality
to operationalise the pump station at Meulspruit Dam to supply
Clocolan with water. A groundwater study was completed in Clocolan
resulted in the drilling and equipping of boreholes to augment the
supply. The emergency scheme as per (a) above will also supply water
to Clocolan.
d) Ficksburg
The Department allocated R7,0 million to the Setsoto Local
Municipality for the implementation of a Water Conservation and Water
Demand Management project and that has improved the water supply. The
Setsoto Local Municipality was technically supported to improve their
water supply to all areas by the proper valve management. Water was
also released from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project into the Little
Caledon to ensure water supply to Ficksburg out of the Caledon River.
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