Hope for unused reservoir in Hilldrop
It is believed the reservoir will play a strong role in Newcastle's water security.
A reservoir at the entrance of Hilldrop might after all not be the white elephant as was believed.
A source who wished to remain anonymous, claimed the reservoir was built three years ago by uThukela Water. “The municipality then took over from uThukela Water and inherited the reservoir, which to date has not been used.”
However, Dr Dumisani Thabethe, Water Services Customer Relations Manager, explained the reservoir would be brought into commission once the project for upgrading the distribution bulk water mains at Hilldrop was complete.
“The reservoir forms part of a project for the upgrade of Hilldrop bulk pipelines, as approved by Department of Water Affairs. It is only but one component of many other stages of the project that are currently being implemented,” he said.
The implementation of the project would be undertaken in stages, when funding from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant programme became available each year, said Dr Thabethe.
While it was uncertain how long it would take to complete the projects, he said the municipality would start using the reservoir once all the components were linked to the upgraded system.
“To link the system, a series of planned water shut downs will be scheduled.”
However, the community would be notified timeously, he added.
Dr Thabethe said the reservoir would play a strong role in the town’s water security, ensuring additional water availability for future development in town.
“This is a good investment for Newcastle ratepayers and is funded through a grant by the Government,” he concluded.
