The Kouga Municipality has completed the first of four multimillion-rand water-purifying plants in the region – taking a major step towards water security for all residents.
The plants, which aim at effectively dealing with the crippling water crisis brought on by the ongoing drought, are fitted with state-of-the-art engineering technology to treat and process borehole water so that it is fit for human consumption.
Each plant will be installed at a cost of approximately R7 million.
“The first plant has been constructed at the Humansdorp Water Treatment Works and will not only significantly improve the quality of the borehole water, removing iron and manganese through a chemical process that utilises activated oxygen and synthol filter media – but it will also add up to 1.7Ml of clean water per day to the reservoir,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks.
“The second plant is currently being constructed at the Jeffreys Bay Water Treatment Works and is set to be completed by early September this year.
“Once completed, it will add an additional 4Ml of water to the existing reservoir.”
Two more plants are being planned for Hankey and St Francis Bay.
According to Hendricks, the plants will, furthermore, serve as a long-term solution to contribute to and augment the municipality’s own water supply resources.
“Ultimately, it will decrease our reliance for water from the Churchill Dam and contribute towards greater water security,” he said.
Save Water
Hendricks urged that residents must continue to reduce their water consumption.
“The average daily water consumption across the region remains over 19Ml per day – as opposed to the ideal 15.7M. per day,” he said.
“A total of 12Ml/day of water will be lost when the Churchill Dam – standing at just more than 21% earlier this week – runs dry.
“Thus, leaving us with only 6Ml of water per day from our own resources – including borehole water and fountain water.
“It is therefore important that all residents reduce their water usage to a maximum of 25l per person per day with immediate effect in a bid to push back Day Zero.”
The municipality has also applied to the Department of Water and Sanitation for much-needed drought relief funding to the amount of R57 400 000.
Projects
- Jeffreys Bay borehole and water treatment works upgrade – R7.4 million
- Humansdorp groundwater treatment – R8.2 million
- Hankey groundwater treatment – R7.5 million
- Humansdorp: Equipping of borehole – R3.5 million
- St Francis Bay groundwater treatment – R10 million
- Kruisfontein groundwater development – R14.1 million
- Thornhill groundwater development – R3.3 million
- Loerie groundwater development – R3.4 million
