The first drops from the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme were delivered on March 31; this is the penultimate phase in the project’s Phase 3 completion, which is intended to supplement water supplies to the Nelson Mandela Metro and its environs.
The Minister for Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu, made a vow during his visit to the project site on March 11, 2022, accompanied by Mr Xolile Nqatha, Member of Executive Council for Eastern Cape COGTA, Cllr Eugene Johnson, Executive Mayor of the Metro, Cllr Eugene Johnson, and former Amatola Water Board members.
The first scheme, with a capacity of 70ml/day, was installed in 1993. The Gariep Dam, which is located up country and thus not impacted by local droughts, provides raw water to the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works.
The Metro has been responsible for the planning, design, tender preparation, contract administration, and contract supervision of the Nooitgedacht supply scheme for several years.
The DWS has stepped in and nominated the Amatola Water Board as the project’s implementing agency for phase 3. The project’s completion date was originally slated for June 2021, however it was then pushed back to September 2021 due to budget restrictions and contractual issues that have now been resolved.
Minister Mchunu was asked to intercede during a working session in the province last August by former Mayors and later by the business sector in order for the project to be completed.
The contractor shut down the water supply on March 29, 2022, in order to complete the final connection for Phase 3. The connection work went well, and the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works now delivers roughly 190 megalitres of water per day, with 70 megalitres being transferred to the Western districts via the Stanford Road Booster Pump Station.
“We are overjoyed that the first drops arrived on schedule, as promised to the citizens; this has been a long time coming, and we are grateful.” The Metro has been suffering from drought over the past seven years, and with the possibility of ‘Day Zero’ looming, this serves as confidence that water will be delivered to our residents. The first drops will be realized via the combined efforts of all — the government (in all domains), the corporate sector, and citizens – the social contract that the President has been emphasizing. Thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort and never gave up; we are truly thankful. Residents in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro are still encouraged to participate.
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