Senzo Mchunu, the minister of water and sanitation, has praised private businesses for their contributions to help Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality delay Day Zero.
Mchunu paid a visit to Nelson Mandela Bay on Monday, inspecting boreholes that had been provided by Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa and the Gift of the Givers in an effort to guarantee communities have access to water in the face of municipal water supply issues.
Oscar Mabuyane, the premier of the Eastern Cape, and Eugene Johnson, the mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, accompanied Mchunu as he examined a borehole in the Q Section of Walmer Township that had been provided by Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa.
The drilling of nine more boreholes in Gqeberha is anticipated to provide 10 million litres of water annually, enough to supply 500 homes in nine districts.
Mchunu also examined a borehole at Elizabeth Donkin Psychiatric Hospital that had been given as a gift by Gift of the Givers.
The municipality’s water supply can be increased by six billion litres per day thanks to the boreholes that the Gift of the Givers supplied in different regions of the city.
Mchunu makes a third trip to a borehole, this time at the metro’s Coegakop Ground Water Development Project.
Mchunu was informed that the project would be finished on October 30, 2022, and that it will have on-site treatment facilities.
At project completion, a yield of 12 MLD is anticipated to be provided to the metro (Minimal Liquid Discharge).
Additionally, the project is planned to increase production to 20 MLD, which ensures long-term supply assurance.
Mchunu claimed that despite Water and Sanitation’s efforts to guarantee inhabitants of Nelson Mandela Bay had access to water, contributions from NGOs and the private sector had had a significant impact on the region.
Because government cannot carry out such interventions alone, it is crucial that these collaborations continue, according to Mchunu.
“We have made it known that we are out there to promote partnerships in order to address water supply concerns in the country,” he added.
Mchunu cautioned residents not to consume water excessively due to the efforts being made to supplement it through the boreholes.
He said that when more boreholes are given, further water restrictions will be put in place to ensure that water usage in the metro is decreased.
“Finishing these boreholes is only a necessary safety precaution to protect water. Because there are now boreholes that help with water supply, that does not imply people can suddenly rest and use water carelessly, Mchunu added.
Ntsako Baloyi, the head of sustainability at Coca-Cola, told the communities that there is no cost to them for the water provided by the boreholes.
The boreholes solely rely on the solar system and do not use power to operate. Since we are a beverage company and take health and safety very seriously, all of our water is thoroughly tested before it is put into the faucets.
Communities receive water at no cost, and we will maintain the boreholes for two years before turning them over to the municipality, according to Baloyi.