Premier Mahumapelo launches Mahikeng Bulk Water Supply Augmentation Project
The North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo in partnership with the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Mahikeng Local Municipality launched the Mahikeng Bulk Water Supply Augmentation Project at the Mahikeng Water Treatment Works. This launch is a way to address water shortages in Mahikeng.
The launch comes in the wake of regular water shortages which have been experienced in Mahikeng recently and attributed partly to the collapse in yield of the Grootfontein dolomitic compartment, which up until 2010 supplied a substantial portion of the town’s bulk water supply.
The collapse in the compartment’s yield occurred as a result of over-abstraction of water from the compartment by Mahikeng as well as irrigation farmers. As a result the Department of Water and Sanitation working together with the North West Provincial government initiated the Mahikeng Bulk Water Supply Augmentation Project which involves the upgrading of the bulk potable water supply capacity to Mahikeng to accommodate current and future demands as well as to alleviate shortages in clean drinking water supply to the city.
In his address, Premier Mahumapelo urged communities to continue using water sparingly and mostly, to jealously guard against vandalism and stealing of the provided water infrastructure as vandalism and stealing are equal to denying communities their right to basic services which is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa.
“Through the launch of this project, we are showing our commitment to provide clean water to the entire community of Mahikeng. We would like you to guard against vandalism of water infrastructure and use water wisely, said Mahumapelo.
The project will see the plant's capacity to release clean water to communities residing in Mahikeng being upgraded from 20 million litres to 30 million litres per day by November 2016. The project will be implemented in phases and would include the construction of a 25 mega-litre reinforced reservoir at the existing Lokaleng pump station site, and the construction of approximately 11km of gravity pipelines from the new Lokaleng reservoir to directly serve certain parts of Mahikeng. These two projects are earmarked to start in 2016.
The project is funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation through its Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) with the first phase of the project earmarked to be totally completed by November 2014 while the second phase will be started in 2016 and implemented by Sedibeng Water.
Kindly contact:
Rudzani Tshigemane (Communication Services, Department of Water and Sanitation - Provincial Operations: North West)
Cell: 083 320 8520
E-mail: tshigemaner@dwa.gov.za
