Nelson Mandela Bay needs nearly R1bn to fix leaks and replace pipes
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in South Africa needs R426 million to fix water leaks and another R495 million for a pipeline replacement programme. According to Daily Maverick, water losses in the city’s system reach 60%.
Each week, the municipality receives up to 1,000 water-supply-related complaints. More than 5,000 leak complaints have currently accumulated, while 4,700 kilometres of water networks need replacement. Water supply disruptions, which sometimes leave residents without water for weeks, have become more frequent.
Sewerage problems
The crisis has also affected the city’s sewerage infrastructure. Failures at pumping stations and treatment facilities are causing untreated wastewater to reach beaches, estuaries and river areas. In July, the South African Human Rights Commission considered the city’s water supply and sanitation crisis; its report following the investigation described the situation as a significant public health risk affecting human rights.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition said in a report on the city’s wastewater disposal services that the sewerage system is not functioning properly. According to the coalition’s assessment, persistent sewage spills pollute the environment and threaten public health, natural ecosystems and the local economy. Its representative, Zukile Madikane, said wastewater runs through the streets in settlements and in some places floods homes.
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According to the coalition, the Driftsands treatment plant, previously regarded as exemplary, has been largely non-operational for three to four years after the theft of an underground power cable. Internal cables were later also stolen from the site despite round-the-clock security. As a result, the report says, untreated effluent travels through three kilometres of sandy channel and is discharged into the sea between the Willows and Willow Grove resorts.
Searching for funding
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Jack Bloom voiced concern over substantial losses of treated water during an inspection visit to the Nooitgedagt and Groendal water treatment plants. He mentioned leaks, theft, incorrect billing and illegal connections, and also drew attention to wastewater entering rivers.
Bloom suggested that coastal municipalities consider large-scale desalination as an alternative water source. Barry Martin, head of the city’s water management, said his desalination proposal submitted two years ago had been rejected. Buyelwa Mafaya, the political head of the city’s infrastructure and engineering, said contractors had already been engaged to address leaks in six clusters, but there were insufficient budget funds to replace old pipes.
