The Sol Plaatje Municipality has secured funding and is working hard to solve the current water crisis in Kimberley.
This is according to Thapelo Matlala, municipal manager, who spoke at a water management workshop involving officials, Bigen infrastructure development consultants, business leaders, and other stakeholders held last week.
“We had robust and honest discussions about the causes and solutions to the problems. Officials and councilors are responsible to the community. We remain disciplined in our responsibility to rectify the situation,” Thapelo says.
Businesses and residents who experience regular and unannounced water shutdowns when emergency repairs are carried out or water in the reservoirs conserved, are irate.
Severe lack of maintenance
Matlala acknowledged that the crisis was caused by a severe lack of maintenance over many years.
Therefore, the municipality received a R2,5 billion government grant as part of the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) to upgrade the bulk water supply infrastructure over the next five to seven years.
The aim is to reduce water losses from the raw water extraction along the value chain to end users, and to improve revenue collection.
The work entails the upgrading and refurbishment of the Riverton abstraction and purification plant, pump stations, Newton reservoirs in Kimberley, replacing bulk pipelines, and improving the distribution network and establishing sustainable management of the water supply system. The water treatment plant at Ritchie will also be upgraded.
With the help of the consultants, the municipality applied for almost R2 billion to upgrade dysfunctional wastewater infrastructure. Possible approval from Treasury is expected in the next months.
The problems stem from inadequate use of the available pumps due to a shortage of transformers at the Riverton plant. The clarifiers and filters are clogged up. Automated processes have long been discontinued and components malfunctioned.
The old and new water treatment plants are only producing up to 80 megalitre (Ml) a day, but has a combined capacity of 150 Ml. One of the immediate projects is to refurbish the old water purification plant first, with the new plant to follow.
There are also problems at the Newton reservoirs. One challenge is that booster pumps have not been in use since they were sent in for repairs and not reinstalled.
Water losses of 60%
The municipality is experiencing non-revenue physical and technical water losses of 60%. The bulk water pipelines from Riverton to Kimberley are leaking due to sabotage, corrosion, and other causes. Due to offtake pipelines not having flow meters, officials cannot establish the exact water flow and usage. Because of the shutdowns, inner city pipelines are bursting frequently due to pressure.
Matlala says the emergency phase has 13 projects, whereafter the medium and long term phases will be introduced. Meticulous planning was done in the past two years.
Population and accompanying economic growth are factored in.
“As we reduce losses, install meters and increase revenue for water sold, our financial situation will improve.”
The operations and financial management of the project will be directed by steering committees comprising different stakeholders, as is required by the grant condition.
Progress reports must be submitted monthly. Systems and procedures are being developed to ensure that specialised staff will manage the operations and maintenance of the upgraded facilities in future.
“It could be through a concession or a private public partnership.”
“Working strategically”
Bigen managing director for water, Dr Mias van der Walt, says the situation is “dire”. The upgraded infrastructure must last a few decades.
“The water losses are massive. Some of the leaks are invisible and must be detected using visual and audio technology inside pipelines. The leaking fresh water and sewage flow to the Platfontein pan next to the R31, and to Kamfersdam where the N12 highway and the railway line are surrounded by water.”
Sabelo Mkhize, acting executive director of infrastructure services, says there is a bottleneck at Riverton, causing the shutdowns.
“It costs money to purify and supply water. Therefore, the water supply must be stabilised soon. We are, amongst other tasks, fixing burst pipes, replacing filters, obtaining transformers, cleaning clarifiers, and replacing valves.”
They are adopting a culture of preventative, predictive, and responsive maintenance.
“We are working strategically by focusing on the institution that are fixing the pipe. We will soon table a maintenance plan and a plan to improve the Blue Drop status to the council. A water safety plan that must be complied externally, will be completed within four months.”
Officials focus on maintenance, operations, repairs, financials, and budget and billing challenges.
“We will appoint qualified and experience personnel, review the organigram, do a skill audit and upskill workers. The development of an operational and monitoring system entails a maintenance plan, standard operational procedures, asset management, performance assessments, risk assessment and labour relations and accountability.”
Other actions include the development of a computerised maintenance management system, emergency response plan and protocol, adequate record keeping, an operations and management manual, water services asset management plan, and establishing a local workshop with spare parts and equipment.
