Dear Residents
Residents have been wanting to know what happened to the much talked about James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works upgrade. In this column, I have decided to report back to the residents not only about this project but about all the water and sewer projects under way in Makana Municipality.
Upgrade of the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works
Capital funding has been secured for the bulk water supply (James Kleynhans) from the Department of Water and Sanitation. An amount of R78 million has been budgeted for the 2019/’2020 financial year. The project is implemented by Amatola Water Board and a contractor has been appointed in January 2020. The project is divided into four phases.
Phase 1
Entailed the augmentation of the James Kleynhans WTW and included the optimisation of the existing Water Treatment Works, covering the following:
- Inlet works
- Valve refurbishments
- Electrical supply
- Water supply pumps
- Sludge ponds
This phase was completed in September 2019.
Phases 2 and 3
These phases entail the construction of new additional 10 megalitres a day Water Treatment Works which will double the treatment capacity of the current WTW. After some delays, the project was awarded in January 2020. The awarded company has applied through a Safety Agent to the Department of Labour for the Occupational Health and Safety permit before they can start construction. It is anticipated that this permit will be granted in March 2020. Construction is expected to take between 12 to 15 months to complete (March to June 2021).
Phase 4
This phase entails the upgrading/refurbishment of the existing 350mm-diameter Pumping Mainline to Botha’s Hill reservoir and upgrading/refurbishment of the electrical work. The project, once completed, will increase the output capacity of James Kleynhans Water Treatment works from 10Ml to 20Ml/day. This will ensure that supply meets demand. It is estimated that an amount of (R222,2m) will be required to provide water security in Makana. A proposal for funding was submitted to the PIC but was unfortunately unsuccessful. A business case for the unfunded portion of work is being prepared to be completed by April 2020 and submitted to different funding sources. There are many other water and sewer related infrastructure upgrades currently under way in Makana Municipality.
Below is a list of water related projects currently under way in Makana
| Name of the project | Amount | % complete |
| Refurbishment of Riebeeck East WTW | R6 955 044 | 50% |
| Refurbishment of Jamieson and Milner Dam | R10 000 000 | 5% |
| Refurbishment of Alicedale WTW | R10 147 495 | 50% |
| Purchase James Kleynhans Pump Set | R1 220 000 | Procurement |
| Fencing of Bothas Hill Reservoirs | R1 301 739 | Procurement |
| Feasibility Study of investigation of water supply to Makhanda West from James Kleynhans WTW | R1 421 079 | 40% |
| Replacement of asbestos pipes in water reticulation network in Grahamstown | R4 007 617 | Contractor appointed |
| Waainek Bulk Water Supply Refurbishment (Multi-year Project) | R8 932 226 | 40% |
Below is a list sewer infrastructure upgrades currently under way in Makana Municipality, at different stages.
| Name of the project | Amount | % complete | |||
| R5 456 819 | 5% | |||
| Mayfield gravity sewer | R3 739 130 | 5% | |||
| Refurbishment of two sewer pump stations in Joza | R3 130 435 | Procurement stage | |||
| Completion of Alicedale Bulk Sewer Pipeline | R3 043 478 | 100% complete |
It is estimated that an amount of R395m is required to solve sanitation challenges in Makana. Business plans have been submitted to DWS for funding. As can be seen from the above, our challenges are due largely to infrastructure backlog and severe and prolonged drought. This means we must all use and re-use water sparingly.
Fort Brown
Refurbishment work and upgrades at the Fort Brown WTW. The 354Kl reservoir was installed and an internal distribution system with five communal standpipes and one fire hydrant at the local settlement. The fire hydrant was connected directly to the main supply line and placed in a strategic location. Five additional communal standpipes and a fire hydrant were added to the existing water reticulation to accommodate the increase in population and increased demand, and two existing leaking standpipes were fixed. The fire hydrant was positioned to accommodate easy access for a fire tanker or fire engine, and a valve spanner was supplied.
Seven Fountains
Due to the increase in population, 20 000 litres of raw water storage capacity was added to the existing 10 000 litres by means of adding four 5000-litre Jojo tanks. All existing pipework was fixed and expanded to accommodate the additional storage tanks, including individual tank isolating valves.
Work done to date:
- Alicedale Waste Water Treatment Works
- Alicedale bulk sewer pipeline
- Funding secured for Belmont Valley WWTW Refurbishment and Mayfield Gravity Sewer
Honourable Executive Mayor Councillor Mzukisi Mpahlwa
