Question NW2524 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation

Reply:

a) The Greater Letaba Municipality Local Municipality falls within the Mopani District Municipality which is a Water Services Authority (WSA) and has a constitutional mandate to ensure adequate supply of clean water within its areas of jurisdiction including Greater Letaba Local Municipality.

The Greater Letaba Local Municipality has a total population of 247 739 residing in 132 villages and 3 towns namely Sekgosese, Modjadjiskloof and Kgapane which are serviced by two Water Treatment Works (WTW) both of which are currently performing at 72%. The details are as follows:

• Politsi WTW which is operated by Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) with a design capacity of 5.5 Ml/d; currently producing 6 Ml/d. The plant abstracts raw water at Vergelegen Dam which is at 100.33%
• The Modjadji WTW is operated by Mopani District Municipality which has a design capacity of 12 Ml/d and currently producing 7 Ml/d due to insufficient raw water from Modjadji Dam the level of which are currently at 11%.

The surface bulk water supply is augmented by 334 boreholes, 231 of which are operational and 103 are not operational. The details of the boreholes that are not operational are as follows:

• 39 boreholes are awaiting ESKOM connections and application are in progress,
• 4 boreholes were vandalized,
• 7 boreholes collapsed,
• 39 boreholes are dry and require funds for re-drilling.

The Mopani District Municipality is currently attending to 18 boreholes which require electrical and mechanical maintenance and 4 boreholes out of the 18 boreholes will augment the Modjadji WTW. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) and over the 2020/21 MTEF has allocated R45 000 000 to assist Mopani District Municipality which will also the Greater Letaba Local Municipality.

Furthermore, Mopani District Municipality is currently implementing 7 MIG water projects within Greater Letaba Local Municipality and the overall progress is at 52%. This is meant to address bulk pipeline development and reticulation within villages.

b) The following are the reasons for the disruption in water supply at the within Greater Letaba Local Municipality:

• Modjadji Dam is currently at 11% and there are restrictions that are imposed by the Department which require users to reduce abstraction by 50%. This has reduced the performance of Modjadji WWTW by almost 50%.
• The Greater Letaba Local Municipality currently has 103 non-functional boreholes as per details provided above.