Nooitgedacht scheme ‘still on stream’

Funding back in place soon for key project, says Amatola Water

THE completion of the Nooitgedacht water scheme – which is set to add a further 70 megalitres of water to the metro’s supply – will not be delayed, according to Amatola Water, even though work on the project ground to a halt more than a week ago.

The assurance follows the downing of tools by contractors on the site of Nooitgedacht’s third-phase expansion on Monday last week due to the non-payment of R10.2-million for their services.

Amatola Water is the implementing agent for the project, while the national Department of Water and Sanitation is responsible for the funding.

Amatola Water spokeswoman Connie Buso said the non-payment of the contractors was mainly due to depleted funding for the financial year that ended on March 31.

“The new budget allocation for the project is expected to be available [this month], when the new financial year for the funding department starts,” Buso said.

“Work on the project is expected to resume immediately upon confirmation of the new funding and the payment of the outstanding amount to the contractor.”

Buso did not respond to further questions on when the payment was expected to be made and why the budget had been depleted.

Last week, a Business Day report detailed the department’s financial woes as a result of a tender deviation spree while former water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane was at the helm.

Work on the Nooitgedacht project also came to a halt at the end of January amid news of reduced funding.

The funding, originally set to be R390-million over three years, was nearly cut through a draft budget reduction, but department spokesman Sputnik Ratau said later that the department had decided to keep to the original budget.

Yesterday, Ratau said: “The draft budget adjustment in the previous financial year was informed by the [department’s spending then] and not cast in stone.

“As such, through further interaction within the department and with the water board and consultants, a decision was reached to retain the then current department expenditure. This would ensure that the project would spend within its final project allocations and, all things being equal, deliver according to the intended dates and time.”

Buso said the latest standstill of the project – which already supplies 160 megalitres of the city’s daily consumption of 280ML and is due to supply another 70ML – would not delay the project’s completion.

“The halting of the work is not expected to result in any major delays,” she said.

“The project is still on track to be completed during 2019.”