CHDM to address water problems

Projects include new or upgraded infrastructure

The Chris Hani District Municipality is taking action to address water supply problems in the region.

The municipality is busy implementing various water infrastructure projects to improve water supply and the quality of life for it residents.

CHDM is currently busy with the construction of several water supply projects: the Cluster 4 Sikhungwini to Lady Frere scheme, Cluster 4 Ndum Ndum to Cala, Cluster 6 Lokshini Reticulation phase three, Cluster 6 Sundwana phase one, and the Cluster 7 Clarkbury village and Bhodini phase two projects.

The projects are aimed at bringing a reliable water supply to communities in these areas.

CHDM mayor Lusanda Sizani said this while sharing the municipality’s plans for the year.

In addition, Sizani said CHDM had identified a wide range of infrastructure projects set to be implemented during this financial year, which was necessary to ensure efficient service provision to all communities within the district.

“These projects are being implemented across the district in different municipality areas,” the mayor said.

“The poor physical condition of such infrastructure has a severe impact on the quality of service delivery.

“It becomes necessary therefore for CHDM to prioritise maintenance, upgrading/ refurbishment and construction of municipal infrastructure.”

Infrastructure priorities for the financial year were being implemented through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, focusing on the development of new water services infrastructure, and refurbishment and upgrading of existing infrastructure.

Sizani said the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant would be focused on developing bulk water and sanitation infrastructure.

The Water Services Infrastructure Grant was aimed at developing interim and intermediate water supply to reduce water and sanitation backlogs, and also for the refurbishment of existing infrastructure.

“The implementation of these projects will help to ensure the infrastructure is not under threat as access to water and proper sanitation is a fundamental human right.”

The mayor said the district municipality was busy implementing the councilapproved plans (IDP and budget) for the current term of council, which incorporated the aforementioned projects.

He added that CHDM was also busy with project visits, assessing the state of municipal infrastructure, and doing project handovers to communities across the district.

“The purpose of the projects being implemented is to ensure access to clean drinking water for communities.

“The upgrading of standalone schemes which the district municipality has prioritised also helped to ensure sustainable water supply in different areas, benefiting communities,” he said.

Challenges faced by the district municipality with regards to water services provision included load-shedding, which the mayor said escalated the running costs for water and sanitation services.

This, coupled with severe weather conditions, affected the turnaround times in dealing with service interruptions.

Other hindering factors included theft and vandalism, the disposal of foreign objects in pipelines leading to recurring sewage blockages, illegal connections, population growth and the expansion of informal settlements.

The implementation of these projects will help to ensure that the infrastructure is not under threat as access to water and proper sanitation is a fundamental human right