The residents of Hammanskraal will have to wait another month for clean and drinkable water due to failure to meet the October deadline in the commissioning of the Klipdrift Package Plant.
During the launch of the project to build the plant early this year its initially envisaged deadline was said to be in September, then October, but now it has been pushed to November 25.
In a social media video, Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya said: “We were working with the deadline for the end of October for safe water to start flowing into the residents’ taps. Unfortunately there have been some delays particularly in ensuring that by the time the water arrives at the taps it will be safe.”
The City, she said, was advised by the Magalies Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation to delay the deadline for water problems to avoid causing more health problems to people.
She emphasised that residents must wait to hear from the government to announce the time when it will be safe to drink water.
In a joint media statement, authorities, which include the City of Tshwane, Magalies Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation said: “The construction of Module One of the 12.5 megalitre package plant by Magalies Water from a total of 50 megalitres is nearing completion, albeit challenges that emerged in the final construction stages of the phase 1 of 12.5 megalitre module which have resulted in delays leading to the testing and commissioning period.”
They also reported that during construction another rock formation was discovered on site, where a raw water pipeline from abstraction point to Module One was to be laid.
“Given the proximity to existing bulk water infrastructure and existing buildings within the precinct of the Klipdrift Water Treatment Plant, safer and alternative means of rock-blasting were opted against rapid-blasting methods.”
Further delays, they said, were experienced due to a power outage incident where the off-site pre-manufacturing of mechanical components of the plant was taking place.
“The final assembly, commissioning and testing of Module One is planned to start from 1 to 10 November 2024. The pressure testing and flushing of water pipelines in areas designated to benefit from the Module one will take place between 10 November to 14 November 2024,” they said.
The Module One of the plant is intended to supply water to Mandela Village, Marokolong, Ramotse, Kekana Gardens (Steve Bikoville), Kudube Unit 9, Babelegi Industrial and Bridgeview informal settlements which are in ward 49, 73,74 and 75.
Authorities assured residents that the delays, though inconvenient, are necessary to ensure the water is safe for consumption and poses no health risks.
The problem of undrinkable water in Hammanskraal has, for years, been attributed to the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant which lacks capacity to purify waste water, resulting in the sludge or effluent being discharged into the Apies River.
The Apies River in turn supplied water to Temba water treatment plant, used for purifying water for the township residents.
Pretoria News