THE latest info about our water shortages is intriguing me.
Albert Falls is close to the 18 per cent mud level and Midmar is to be used to raise the level.
If Midmar replaces that on per cent/wk Albert requires how many weeks do the powers that be think Midmar will last?
The thing that worries me is that we were told about 12 months ago, when tap restrictors were being fitted the loss level was 40 per cent, now, according to last week’s Highway Mail, 50 per cent is blithely mentioned as the current water loss level, if we are doing all we can about losing water why is the figure going up and getting worse?
No explanations are being given and very little action seems to be taken. Someone “at the top” wants to get mobile and start to point fingers, there must be documents available to show that leaks have been reported by the public – are these available?
If they are – do any of these repeat? What has been done about it? Have any been fixed? If not, why not?
I would suggest someone in his expensive motor car, should go and look for himself – talk to the public, they will give you feedback, look at these leaks and find out why nothing has been done when they have been reported. If they have been signed off as fixed why are they leaking again?
Is someone signing off jobs as being fixed, but no one has been near to the area to even look at them, if so why aren’t these people being picked up and action taken? The public will tell you.
Have any targets been set for reduction in fault levels – if corrective action is being taken properly losses must logically fall with time – if not why not?
You have one chance to get this right.
I think that our water affairs minister is not taking his job very seriously, he needs to get his management together and demand answers.
What action to take will stem from this, including whether he is any good at his job or not! He also needs help at higher government level and rapidly.
At present you seem to be like chickens running around with no heads. Leadership is requested and from the top.
If Midmar reaches 18 per cent mud level, the consequences don’t bear thinking about, if replacement pipes are an issue you have got to do something about it, it’s no good saying you cannot do it – make it happen.
Just as another issue, what is happening about the dam that is close to Midmar, that is always full, but no water can be fed into Midmar, because of a lack of pipework, why isn’t pipework being fitted, it’s no good saying it cannot be done you have to make a plan and do it, you are paying money into utilities that are not performing, SAA, the Post Office Eskom etc, start and make these companies perform, sell them to private industry if necessary, if we have no water you and your jobs are finished – are you getting the message?
Don’t talk about over simplification, I know that this problem cannot be kept at department level any longer, this problem, even if a programme is actioned, is going to be with us for years to come.
Peter Harrop
Pinetown
