If all goes according to plan, there should be light at the end of the tunnel for town residents in terms of the perpetual water and sewage crisis. The current system is being attended to by a firm appointed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF).

In previous issues of Zoutpansberger, reports appeared on the dismal state of the town’s water and sewage system. Just this week, residents in some parts of town once again experienced a water shortage. However, these problems might be addressed within the next three to four months, which is good news to overtaxed and overburdened residents who have to cope with the fallout resulting from poor planning and maintenance on the part of the municipality.

In what can only be seen as a definite effort on the part of DWAF to address the current problems, it has appointed Belta Services, a local engineering firm, to repair and maintain the water supply line from the Albasini Dam and the existing water purification plant. The town’s five current sewage pump stations have either been overhauled or are in the process of being upgraded. Unfortunately, this process is not simple and takes time. It is also not possible to suspend all operations of the system in order to do repairs and maintenance, which complicates the matter considerably. Throw Eskom’s load shedding into the equation and the problems increase exponentially.

A spokesperson for Belta, Mr Henk de Swardt, indicated that they hope to have the complete system up and running within three months. They have already spent roughly R2 million on maintenance and upgrades. The firm is currently awaiting authorization to service the mechanical parts of the pipeline supplying water from the Albasini Dam. When the system functions as it should, the expected water flow will be about 120 litres per second.

The key to maintaining a constant water supply, in terms of delivery, is to keep the pressure at a specific required level. Eskom’s load shedding makes this very difficult, however. Another problem is getting parts from suppliers. Companies sometimes take up to 16 weeks to deliver the parts ordered.

Another bit of good news is that plans are afoot to repair and maintain the section of the water purification plant which has been standing unused for some time. Instead of building another, new purification plant, the existing plant will be extended to supplement the current plant. In the end, a number of smaller plants will be linked up to deal with the demand on the sewage system. If, at some point in the future, any of the smaller plants experiences problems, it can be cut off from the rest without undue disruption, making it possible for the rest to handle the effluent until repairs have been done.

One specific problem that Mr De Swardt highlighted is that of rain water being drained into the sewage system. Normally, rain water does not reach the sewage system, as the effluent is drained via storm water pipes. However, some households erect downpipes to spill rainwater into the sewage system. In addition, a lot of soil and stones end up in the sewage pipes, draining from pavements and flower beds. These items end up in the pump stations, causing blockages and damage to pumps. A pump can cost up to R100 000 to replace. An impeller alone can cost the taxpayer R10 000 to replace. Residents are implored to place no extra pressure on the system by being aware of the consequences of such actions.