Siphelele Nketo
AN oversight visit to the Ntabankulu area of the Eastern Cape was conducted this week, led by Mayor Tsileng Sobuthongo, accompanied by members of the Mayoral Committee.
The delegation visited the Nyokweni/Bomvini Regional Water Supply Scheme in Ntabankulu to assess challenges affecting the provision of water services. The visit was also meant to identify urgent interventions required to restore reliable water supply to affected communities.
Municipal spokesperson Luncedo Walaza said that the oversight visit formed part of the municipality’s ongoing commitment to ensure that residents of Wards 7, 8 and 9 have access to safe and reliable drinking water. “During the visit, several operational and infrastructure challenges were identified as key contributors to water supply interruptions. These include vandalism of critical water infrastructure such as generators, pumps and electrical control panels,” he stated. He added that the municipality also noted the impact of a damaged transformer caused by unbalanced voltage phasing on Eskom power lines, which resulted in power supply failures affecting three high-lift pumping stations.
“Additional technical challenges were identified at the abstraction point at Minwe Emibini, where electrical faults have further hampered the operation of the scheme,” added Walaza.
He said the delegation commenced its inspection at the abstraction point, where raw water is extracted and pumped through a series of high-lift stations before reaching the Bomvini Water Treatment Works.
At the treatment works, water is being purified and prepared for distribution to communities served by the scheme.
During the oversight visit, Executive Mayor Sobuthongo expressed concerns regarding delays and performance challenges affecting the implementation of aspects of the project.
She emphasised the need for all stakeholders involved in the scheme to fulfil their responsibilities diligently to ensure that affected communities receive the services they deserve. Walaza further explained that the municipality has resolved to implement a series of corrective measures aimed at addressing the identified bottlenecks, restoring infrastructure functionality and accelerating the completion of outstanding work.
“These interventions are expected to contribute significantly towards stabilising water supply and improving service delivery to residents of the affected wards,” he concluded.
