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EdST Enquiries: A Matukane
Telephone: 015Â 290 1215
Reference: 2/6/6/2
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES: QUESTION 657 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
A draft reply to the above question asked by Mr R A Lees (DA-KZN) is
attached for your consideration.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
DRAFT REPLY APPROVED/AMENDED
MRS B E E MOLEWA, MP
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
DATE:
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 657
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 30 OCTOBER 2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 38)
657. Mr R A Lees (DA-KZN) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental
Affairs:
(1) Whether she has been informed of the (a) lack of water supply
and (b) complete unavailability of water at times in Giyani in
Limpopo since the beginning of August 2012; if not, what is the
position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether there is (a) any working and/or (b) available borehole
equipment to augment the water supply; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(3) whether her department is providing any assistance to the Mopani
District Municipality in order to resolve these problems; if
not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether any action is being taken against the said municipality
for any transgressions of the (a) National Water Act, Act 36 of
1998, or (b) Water Services Act, Act 108 of 1997, in relation to
the water supply problems; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details?
CW868E
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REPLY:
1) Yes, The Department of Water Affairs (The Department) is aware
of the lack and unavailability of water supply in the Giyani
Local Municipality (LM). The water shortage challenge is as a
result of the drying up of the Middle Letaba Dam which is at
1.4% and the Nsami Dam which is at 13.5%. Regarding to the two
dams, the projection currently is that if we do not receive
enough rainfall soon, they will be completely empty by February
2013.
The Giyani Water Treatment Works is operating at 50%. The water
supply crisis within this area has been exacerbated by the
malfunctioning of the rapid gravity sand filters of the water
treatment works. The Mopani District Municipality (DM) is aware
of this problem, and a contractor has been appointed to repair
the sixteen rapid gravity sand filters.
2) Yes, the Giyani Town has forty two (42) boreholes that augment
bulk water supply, seventeen (17) of which are presently
operational. The other twenty five (25) boreholes are
nonâoperational due to maintenance and rehabilitation oversight,
vandalism and theft of borehole equipments. Both the Mopani DM
and the Department are paying special attention to bring these
boreholes back to operation.
3) Yes, the Department has compiled an emergency contingency plan
that requires R138 million in order to address the water
shortages, and drought in the Middle Letaba Regional Water
Scheme. The Department will assist in sourcing the required
amount.
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The Department is also currently busy with the designs for
rehabilitation of five boreholes, and the erection of pipeline
to the Giyani North East at a cost of R10 million. An amount of
R44 million has also been allocated to the Mopani DM through the
DoRA for the Operation and Maintenance and Refurbishment of the
Water Scheme during the current 2012/13 financial year.
The Department is taking a leadership role in the establishment
of a Joint Operation Room that was established, and that is done
through the Mopani Disaster Management Centre, which is dealing
with the water supply challenges. An awareness campaign to the
community about water conservation and water demand management
for the Middle Letaba Regional Water Scheme is being
implemented.
4) No, the low capacity of water in the Middle Letaba and Nsami
Dams is a natural environmental phenomenon and has not been
linked to any contravention of any legislation. The water
restriction for bulk water supply stipulates that the Giyani
Water Treatment Works must operate at 50% of its capacity. The
malfunction of the rapid gravity sand filters was identified at
the beginning of 2012, and it resulted in the compilation of an
action plan and Refurbishment Project Plan (RPP), which was
approved by the Mopani DM and the Department for the
refurbishment of the Giyani Water Treatment Works. The amount of
R10 million has been allocated and a contractor has been
appointed to refurbish the Giyani Water Treatment Works.
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