Ndlambe details water plan for festive season

Municipality in meetings with RO operator QFS

The reverse osmosis (RO) plant operator, key to Port Alfred’s water supply, was instructed to return to the site by November 18.

Meanwhile, Ndlambe Municipality has released a detailed plan to manage its constrained water resources during the festive season.

Port Alfred is short of 1.5 megalitres (ML) a day to meet its demand of 6.8 ML/day.

This is because the RO plant operator, Quality Filtration Systems (QFS), ceased operations on October 1, saying the municipality had not paid in full for its services.

Ndlambe took QFS to court in a bid to force it to continue its work, claiming it had breached the contract by suspending all work without adequate notice.

Ndlambe said QFS owed money for electricity supplied by the municipality, failed to provide the volumes of water agreed on and failed to give adequate notice; however, in October, the Makhanda high court ruled in favour of QFS.

In a statement on November 8, Ndlambe said it had resolved to implement the judgment and pay QFS with the aim of getting the RO plant back in operation as soon as possible.

“The monies due to QFS have been paid on Friday November 4 and the contractor was expected to have been back on site after payment but it is not yet the case,” the municipality said on November 8.

Nine days later, the RO plant was still not operating and Talk of the Town understands there were ongoing meetings between QFS and Ndlambe senior management.

In the November 18 statement, Ndlambe said an instruction had been issued for QFS to return to site by Friday November 18.

Standby teams, water tanks

Ndlambe’s Festive Season Water Plan for its 10 wards:

● The water sources for the area, demand and expected festive season demand.

● Possible risks to the supply.

● Interventions to prevent or mitigate risks, and for alternative water delivery methods.

● Water awareness campaigns; regular inspections for leaks and burst pipes; with water services staff on standby to promptly attend to supply problems.

Meanwhile, the co-operative governance-funded water conservation and demand management programme began the process of replacing old valves, meters and air valves, installing booster pumps and, in Port Alfred, drilling boreholes at the East Bank dunes to unlock additional water availability.

Nemato and Nkwenkwezi booster pumps have been upgraded and new pumps for Rosehill and Alfred Road are to be installed before the end of November.

Standby teams will be available throughout the season.

For water-related issues, call 046-604-5500, ext 02 and 03.

For emergencies in Port Alfred, Bathurst and Seafield, call Sipho Babama on 072-3022920.

For emergencies in Alexandria, Kenton, Bushmans, Marselle, Boknes and Cannon Rocks, call Thulani Maluleke on 072-849-6547.

For the detailed plan in each area, follow this link: bit.y/FestiveWaterNdlambe2022