More than R300m has been earmarked for a complete overhaul of the water pipe system in the Ilembe district municipality, a substantial portion of which will be spent in Stanger Manor.
The pipe renewal project was announced and discussed with Stanger Manor residents at a meeting on Tuesday last week, following weeks of uninterrupted water supply (Ilembe apologises for water woes, Courier, January 24).
A meeting also took place at the Ocean Reef Hotel in Zinkwazi on Monday.
From the department of water affairs the municipality received funding which will be staggered over three years: R49m this year, R44m next year and R219m in 2016. The project will primarily focus on upgrading the existing AC lines to PVC piping, giving the new system a lifespan of about 20 years.
In Zinkwazi, a budget of R14, 2 million has been allocated for the project and work is expected to commence in the first week of May, finishing in November 2014. An estimated number of 501 households are expected to benefit.
R14.2m has been set aside for High Ridge, R32.2 million for Stanger Heights (names repeated) respectively with 1 364 households expected to benefit.
Technical services acting executive director Notha Maphumulo explained the existing pipe system is more than 40 years old, causing serious issues with water supply over the past three years.
“Our pipes are now taking strain and we must sincerely apologise to our residents, because we know it is an inconvenience. Our infrastructure simply cannot handle the increasing volume of consumers. We will announce planned shut downs well ahead of time so you can prepare. We humbly ask you all to bear with us.”
Maphumulo said the Stanger Manor phase of the project should start within the first week of April and they hope to finish by December, when he envisages “no more water problems”.
Residents were given a chance to engage with municipal officials and raised several gripes, including the notification period before interruptions, dispatching of tankers and the lack of service from the municipal call centre.
In response Ilembe speaker Thokozani Msweli asked residents to report tankers that arrive in their areas after dark, when they are unable to get water. He also pledged to get council to reconsider the method they use to notify residents of water disruptions.
Maphumulo said the call centre should not even be called such.
“There is one person with one telephone attending to 40 000 consumers. A revamp is three years overdue. We need to skill our call centre operators so they can explain to consumers why they have no water in proper terms, not tell consumers what they already know.”
Ward councillor Madhun Sing is elated.
“We are very keen to start this project and look forward to water problems becoming a thing of the past.”
