By Geoff Embling, Ward Four councillor (DA)
The Infrastructure portfolio meeting contained many of the same issues as previous infrastructure meetings, and a councillor noted that it was like attending the same meeting again and again.
Roads, stormwater, sewage, water, and electricity have been allocated a minuscule proportion of funding from Makana Municipality’s budget. The procurement process used by Makana Municipality takes far too long and is not suitable for emergencies such as electricity outages and water pipe bursts.
The water and sanitation team currently has one bakkie available, which is used for all the maintenance in Grahamstown East and West, as well as for regular trips to James Kleynhans and Howiesonspoort, and for overtime work. Makana Municipality’s one grader is back in action, but the other grader, which needs a tire, has been grounded at the electricity department for a year. Most vehicles are non-operational, several of them needing minor repairs.
Councillors will press the municipality to juggle its budget, do away with unnecessary spending, and allocate more funding toward the repair and maintenance of basic services and infrastructure. Secondly, the council will be requested to re-look at its rules relating to procurement.
Water leaks are a major problem, particularly in the township. Some time ago, the underground meters were replaced by above-ground plastic water meters, to make meter reading more accessible in the hope of increasing rates. This has backfired badly because the plastic meters are poorly made and disintegrate at the elbows, creating leaks. This has occurred en masse and Makana is bleeding revenue due to the expense of pumping water (electricity and maintenance of overworked pumps) and costly water treatment chemicals.
Amatola Water, funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), availed itself up until 31 August 2023 to fix the major water leaks which had been reported. But thousands of other water leaks have not been mended. The second water pump for the Howiesonspoort pump station, which MANCO was supposed to deliver roughly a year ago, was said to be arriving in October 2023. Makana Municipality has managed to iron out certain issues with the provider, and the pump is currently being tested.
Analysis has been done by the manufacturer on two other damaged water pumps, one from Howiesonspoort and one from James Kleynhans, and the report was in the infrastructure agenda. It showed that grit from Howiesonspoort, along with chlorine chemical damage, was responsible for the damage. Management was asked whether it had a strategy in place to prevent this from happening in the future, but the response was not clear.
At public meetings, the Speaker of the Council had told residents that the municipality would form a joint operations committee (JOC) and include members of the public who are knowledgeable regarding Makana’s water infrastructure. At the infrastructure portfolio meeting, management was asked whether the JOC would be formed, and the answer was a clear “yes”. Councillors will press this issue and follow up regularly.
On a positive note, some municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) and water services infrastructure grant (WSIG) projects, wastewater treatment, and others, which are funded by the National Treasury, seem to be picking up pace after a long lull in activity.
