Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu, has noted a post on social media, Twitter in particular, by @Bustthelooters stating: “Blame Port Elizabeth running out of water on this man and this man alone. Water from the #Nooitgedacht pipeline is still not complete. It was supposed to be finished in 2019. @Senzo_Mchunu_ from @MYANC. Useless cadre deployee. @GovernmentZA @PresidencyZA @ NMandelaBaymuni.”
In correcting the above statement, which contains outright lies, Minister Mchunu saw it fitting to provide the following facts:
FACT #1: The Eastern Cape has been hit hard by a hydrological drought since 2015 and continues to face severe dry conditions with little rain to fill up dams, as normally occurs during the rainy seasons.
FACT #2: The Algoa Catchment Area which serves Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been particularly hard hit. The drought has worsened over the past two years. Weather predictions from South African Weather Services do not indicate that the situation is likely to improve.
FACT #3: The eastern part of the Metro receives water from the Gariep Dam in the Free State via a complex system of rivers, canals and dams, and the Nooitgedagcht Water Treatment Works.
FACT #4: The Nooitgedagcht Water Treatment Works has recently been upgraded by DWS to supply an additional 70 Ml/day of water to Nelson Mandel Bay Municipality (NMBM), bringing its total water supply to NMBM to 210 Ml/day. This additional water started to flow to NMBM in March 2022.
FACT #5: DWS is in the process of developing several projects to ensure water security for NMBM by drawing additional water from the Gariep Dam in the Free State, including a further phase of development of the Nooitgedagcht Water Treatment Works to transfer water from the eastern side to the western side – which is still at advanced planning stage.
FACT #6: Notwithstanding the above, Minister Mchunu assumed office on the 5th of August 2021, but has since prioritised the completion of several projects undertaken by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
For more information, contact
Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942
Kamogelo Mogotsi, Spokesperson for the Ministry at 076 523 0085
