Launch of Construction of the Greater Eston Bulk ... - Umgeni Water

The Chief Director of the Department of Water Affairs in KwaZulu-
Natal, Mr A. Starkey, praised Umgeni Water for its role in development,
and said that since 2013 has been declared the Year of Water Cooperation
by the United Nations, it was imperative to replicate successful
partnerships among water sector entities to ensure that the
implementation of major projects became the norm.
Mayor Bhamjee gave his Council leadership’s unstinting support for the
Greater Eston Bulk Water Supply Scheme and Richmond Bulk Water
Supply Pipeline projects. He said it was his municipality’s commitment to
ensure that all households within uMgungundlovu had access to safe
drinking water by 2014, which is in line with the targets set by the
national Government under the Millennium Development Goals.
“I am pleased with the level of collaboration that exists between
uMgungundlovu District Municipality and Umgeni Water and am certain
that the driving force behind this association is the common vision we
share, and that is to improve the lives of the communities we serve,” he
said.
In his Vote of Thanks, the Chief Executive of Umgeni Water, Cyril
Gamede, pledged to ensure that Umgeni Water continued to fulfil its
obligations to society, as well as to its mandate relating to the provision of
water. He also reaffirmed Umgeni Water’s commitment to supporting
customers’ initiatives aimed at meeting the water provision targets of
2014.
The function ended with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque that
signified the launch of construction of the Greater Eston Bulk Water
Supply Scheme and the Richmond Bulk Water Supply Pipeline.

T
orrential rainfall over a 24-hour period on 10th and 11th December
2012 damaged bulk water supply infrastructure managed and
operated by Umgeni Water in parts of the South Coast. The most
serious damage was experienced at EJ Smith Dam, where the outlet pipes
broke, and at the Mtwalume abstraction river, where pipes also broke.
As a consequence of storm damage to the bulk water infrastructure, raw
water supply to the Umzinto Water Treatment Works was interrupted,
resulting in the water treatment works receiving inadequate amounts of
water to treat and supply to Ugu District Municipality.Consumers in
several high-lying areas in the vicinity of the Umzinto supply system
experienced intermittent water supply for between 24 and 36 hours.
Some areas still remain without water, and are being supplied by tankers
deployed by the Ugu District Municipality. The situation was exacerbated
by damage caused to Ugu District Municipality’s reticulation network by
the storm of 10th and 11th December 2012-which unleashed an
estimated 220mm of rainfall in 24 hours - and through increased demand
due to an influx of holidaymakers.
Due to damage caused to roads, some which were impassable, Umgeni
Water’s work crews from the South Coast Area were unable to reach the
damaged bulk infrastructure which meant, in effect, that the work crews
and South Coast Area Management were unaware at that stage of the full
extent of the damage. Only when the rains began abating about 24 hours
later they were able to assess the damage. And what they found was
going to be time-consuming to repair and required additional resources in
order for the damaged systems to fully recover. In the meantime, the
Office of the Chief Executive swung into action with messages on radio
stations, alerting consumers to the nature of damage, the anticipated
time for system recovery and the critical need to conserve the little water
that was available at the time.
From this point, it was a race against time for Umgeni Water
maintenance staff from Pineside and the South Coast and external
contractors. An undertaking had been given by South Coast Area
Manager Bruce Boyers – and reiterated on radio by Stakeholder Manager
Shami Harichunder – that the repair work and system recovery would be
completed in 48 hours,
This was accomplished, in line with the pledge made by Bruce.
“The completion of the work is a testimony to how well Umgeni Water
teams can work together with external contractors to deliver on the
promises we make to people. Our systems have now fully recovered, due

to the hard work and commitment of all involved. I want to thank them
for a job well done, and in time to avert a potential crisis,” Bruce said.
Ugu District Municipality and Umgeni Water crews are, in the meantime,
continuing mopping up operations and completing the last of the repair
work required to get the municipality’s reticulation systems fully
functional again.
Compiled by
Clarissa Naidoo
Contributed by
Shami Harichunder