It has been a few days a since the recent launch of the Giyani Water Treatment Works (GWTW) in Limpopo, as part of the Presidential “Siyahlola” Campaign.
The GWTW plant was launched by President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by Minister of Water and Sanitation Department, Ms. Nomvula Mokonyane. Also present at the event were, amongst others, Minister for Communications, Faith Muthambi and MEC's from Limpopo Province.
The launch heralded the beginning of a better quality of life for 55 villages, bringing them closer to water sources without having to walk long distances to draw water. Of the 55 villages, 27 villages are serviced by bulk water distribution while the remaining 28 get water through the usage of boreholes.
The intention is to phase out the boreholes and have a complete bulk water distribution to the entire 55 villages.
While the project clearly brought relief and joy to the residents, the current reticulation network (ie pipe network, valves and reservoirs) is dampening the excitement. The network is completely dilapidated, having outlived the lifespan of 30 years by 10 years more - making it 40 years old, installed in 1974. This has left the system barely functional, requiring constant reparation. Frequent repairs are causing interruptions in the supply of water to the people of Giyani.
This aged infrastructure is in a state of ruin and has been prone to leaks where corroded pipes burst. For a leaking pipe to be fixed, water supply has to be interrupted, implying that residents would either have to be without water while the repairs are done, or obtain water from other sources.
Illegal connections and vandalism of the water infrastructure also contribute immensely to water interruptions. Seven pipes were recently vandalised.
These challenges in turn, increase the risk of constant interruptions and make continuous supply of water impossible, sometimes for 24hrs at a time in some areas.
In order to combat these challenges, the Department of Water and Sanitation has deployed a team of technical staff to operate the plant, including walking the pipe network in order to detect leaks and vandalism.
In some areas, the department has had to not only repair a pipes, but replace the entire pipe network which consists of 40 years years old asbestos that cannot be used anymore. The old asbestos pipes are replaced with steel of PV pipesdepending on the extent or magnitude of the problem.
Furthermore, the department is taking steps to not only repair vandalised pipes but to report these cases to police for investigation. Plans for an extensive campaign against vandalism and theft of water infrastructure are underway to raise awareness in local communities.
For enquiries please call:
Brenda Mpitsang
Cell: 060 5712062
