As if there is not enough pressure on the aging infrastructure, another new development is in the pipeline.
The proposed Siyanqoba Residential Township development located 2.31km north west of Pine Ridge and 4.63km north west of Klarinet seems to be the ‘answer’ to curb the mushrooming of informal settlements within the boundaries of the municipality.
But right from the word go there are problems.
There are two old farm dams, a water furrow and two boreholes on the property that were used for agricultural purpose. But there is no information about the quantity and quality quantity of the water available. It would be necessary to register all water users on the property at the Department of Water Affairs (DWA).
The storm water can impact the banks of the stream and change the aquatic habitat and bad waste management can pollute the dams and have a negative impact on aquatic live.
In its recommendation Wandima Environmental Services, who was appointed by the developer Vipcon (PTY) LTD to do an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the proposed establishment, said a storm water management plan will mitigate all possible negative impacts.
Waste management must be part of the management of the town to prevent waste flowing into the dams and stream.
Just a few paragraphs further they propose that the sewer system in the development is to be a gravity waterborne sewerage network which will service the area. There is currently existing 250mm diameter sewer bulk line which feeds to the sewerage works at Klipspruit. The sewerage effluent could connect to the existing bulk line which runs across the proposed development.
However Klipspruit Sewerage works is a 10Ml/day plant and is currently operating at 15Ml/day therefore it’s operating at over capacity.
One of the recommendations is to construct a new onsite sewerage works and dispose of the treated effluent into the 250mm diameter pipe that passes through the site.
That brings us to the water.
The proposed water reticulation has access to an existing 250mm diameter uPVC water pipe which is located 8km from the proposed development just below Witbank Train Station. The existing water treatment works is a plant which is located at the Doonpoort Dam with a 42Ml Point A command reservoir and several bulk reservoirs feeding from it. There were no flow and pressure tests done by the municipality on 50mm diameter water pipe in order to determine the required fire flow rate.
It may become necessary to also increase the capacity of the water treatment works in order to cater for the additional 10Ml which exclude emergency water. There will be connection required from the take-off point which is located 8km from the site and a bulk main laid to supply a 10Ml reservoir that could cater for the 48-hour storage will be constructed and will serve the area.
The new development will require 16 925kVA to be available from the municipal 11kV distribution system.
There has been some contact with the municipality to get the existing electrical capacity and determine whether the demand will be met by the existing capacity.
Looking at the headlines that Eskom is tired of waiting for the municipality to settle its electricity bill, one cannot but wonder who authorizes developments like these without taking into consideration the implications it is going to have on the electricity infrastructure.
A few areas of concern were noted and send to the developer, Wandima Environmental Services and the municipality. Needless to say no one responded by the time going to press.
A few simple questions that needed answers were, why was a Basic Assessment Process followed instead of a full Environmental Impact Assessment Process? No traffic impact study was done, so was no socio-economic study done, no workable plans with time frames regarding basic services were noted and that all raises alarm bells.
There are wetlands on the site but nowhere is it indicated if a water use license was applied for.
This is just the surface of concerns regarding this development.
WITBANK NEWS is still investigating this development as well as the Absa Property Development (Pty) Ltd/Emalahleni Local Municipality new residential area on various portions of the farm Blesboklaagte 296 JS eMalahleni that is also under the magnifying glass.
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