Question NW3430 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
17 November 2023 - NW3430
Makamba-Botya, Ms N to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Whether his department has taken any measures of intervention to repair the aging bulk water and sanitation infrastructure whose weaknesses were exposed in the recent months across all the provinces, if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has reprioritised the allocated Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and Water Services Infrastructure Grant towards addressing the emergency needs of repair, refurbish and where applicable upgrade water services infrastructure which were failing to perform at optimal levels. The infrastructure is owned and operated by municipalities and refurbishment projects are implemented by these municipalities as Implementing Agents. This is an ongoing intervention which is intended to improve water and sanitation service delivery.
The Department is working together with Municipalities to ensure that the interventions are complemented with functioning and sound Asset Management Policies as well as the required capacity to properly operate and maintain this infrastructure. This will ensure performance of infrastructure to maximum design capacity and curb eliminate failures caused by lack of maintenance and neglect.
---00O00---