eMalahleni water shortage: Eskom steps in to rescue municipality

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eMalahleni water shortage: Eskom steps in to rescue municipality
FILE IMAGE: H2oByJoanna

This move will alleviate the water shortage in these areas.


 KINGDOM MABUZA


Water shortages which have, in some instances, led to taps running dry in areas like Klarinet and Siyanqoba, will now be the thing of the past.

This is after power utility Eskom donated the Doornpoort Dam to the Emalahleni local municipality.

The dam has substantial storage capacity with an abstraction yield of 5 Mega-litres/day.

The scheme will be augmented and will have an initial output of 15Ml/d and will be targeted for communities of Klarinet and Siyanqoba.

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The dam’s impressive and intact infrastructure is still in a safe working condition with minimum maintenance works required.

The Dam was initially used for supplying water to the Witbank power station.

But in 1996 the Witbank power station ceased to operate, leading to the supply from the dam being terminated.

Mayor of the eMalahleni local municipality, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, applauded Eskom’s generosity which will reduce the strain to provide water from the few sources within the municipality jurisdiction.

The Doornpoort dam donated to eMalahleni Municipality by Eskom.

Ntshalintshali said: “The dam will be extremely helpful particularly because we have been under pressure, the water supply system was not meeting the demand due to increase in water demand”.

“The municipality has been unable to develop alternative water supply schemes due unavailability of alternative water endowed catchments and stressed water balance along Olifants River hence scarcity predicaments were inevitable,” she said.

“We will treat this dam as another important asset which must be looked after,” said Ntshalintshali.

The dam has still to be refurbished and associated infrastructure be constructed before water can start flowing.

*Mabuza is spokesman in Ntshalintshali’s office.