Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete: Ditsobotla Groundwater source handover, Bakerville

Programme Director
Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality Mayor of Ditsobotla Local Municipality
Councillors
Regional Head and Department Officials Sedibeng Water
Members of the Media Community of Bakerville Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning

I would like to welcome you all today and thank you for coming here as we mark the commissioning of the Groundwater Source Project for water in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.

It is befitting for us to be celebrating a project of this nature as the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is currently embarking on a campaign to highlight groundwater as an important alternative for basic use of water, under the theme “Making the Invisible, Visible”.

While high rate of urbanisation in South Africa has proven to have a major impact on the demand for water supply and sanitation services, the country remains a water- scarce country.

There exists an estimated rate of 65% urbanised areas in South Africa, and the National Development Plan (NDP) estimates that urban population will grow by 10% every two decades.

Increasing urbanisation will place more pressure on cities to deliver affordable and reliable water and sanitation services to larger numbers of poor households.

Surface water, the traditional source for bulk supply, is becoming more limited and even unavailable in many catchments. Meanwhile, the cost of infrastructure, construction and maintenance remains expensive.

On the other hand, climate change is negatively affecting South Africa’s water resources gradually. In the face of climate change, groundwater, which will not experience increased evaporation that impacts on surface water as temperatures increase will become increasingly important.

Artificial recharge of aquifers will be an important element in water management by enhancing the recharge to the aquifers to counter the effect of sporadic recharge to groundwater experience with climate change.

Given the expected population growth, coupled with the impacts of climate change on surface water, there is a need to optimise the water mix that is currently dominated by surface water.

South Africa’s Master Plan on Water and Sanitation predicts that by 2040, there should be less reliance on surface water. The Master Plan hopes to achieve a change in the water mix through increased groundwater use, increase in the re-use of effluent from wastewater treatment plants, water reclamation, as well as optimisation of desalination and treated acid mine drainage projects.

Groundwater is fairly cheap and fast to develop, and is virtually at the door of most households. Most of South Africa’s groundwater is of potable quality. Groundwater needs to be managed in a sensible manner because it can as easily be polluted as surface water although it is underground.

The total estimated cost of the Ditsobotla Groundwater Source project was R20 million. The project was funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation through Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG).

The community started to receive water from the date of practical completion. The only outstanding site activity is the installation of site clearance and environmental rehabilitation.

The project has benefited the project team and community with the following: -

• Involvement of trainee personnel in project whilst gaining experience in all project aspects (design, contract administration, policies).
• Involvement of local people in project whilst gaining experience and training on construction and contracting aspects. The following training for local labours were undertaken and they received a certificate of competence:
  • Basic Plumbing skills – 21 Local Labours
  • First Aid Training – 7 Local Labours
  • Fire Fighter Training - 3 Local Labours
• Provision of basic water services to the community, thus catering for future economic and domestic demand. The scheme will serve approximately 2241 people with potable water.
• Sourcing of materials from local suppliers and manufactures.

There has to be a joint effort between the municipality and the community to take ownership and safeguard this project against misuse and vandalism. The on-going vandalising of the same infrastructure that benefits the community remains undesirable and is a criminal offence. Let us take pride in looking after our infrastructure, as this is a legacy for generations to come.

There also has to be a further joint effort between the department and the municipality to educate and raise awareness on the dangers, and consequences, of vandalising the water and sanitation.

On the 8th May 2019, you have a democratic opportunity to vote and participate in building South Africa together.

Vote for a government that support all municipalities and communities regardless of their political affiliations.