At last, addressing the shocking lack of water to the eastern parts of Kathu, which had been without water the week before last and last week for days on end, the Mayor Ophaketse Edwin Hantise and the Municipal Manager Kgomodikae Protea Leserwane of Gamagara local municipality sent a letter to the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of the Northern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass, on Friday 09 November 2018 and went on to explain the situation to OFM radio – the sound clip which was heard and circulated to many residents from the region via WhatsApp.

The letter to Mr Vass, outlining the problems experienced surrounding the provision of bulk water supply to the different areas within the judicial area of Gamagara local municipality, was as follows (edited) :

Gamagara local municipality has had unprecedented billing problems for the past two financial years as a result of the implementation of a new MSCOA compliant financial system. The problems were only resolved in October 2018.

It is against this background that the municipality’s cash flow declined tremendously and as a result, we fell behind with our bulk suppliers’ payments ie Eskom and Sedibeng Water.

The municipality entered into several payment agreements with these service providers and constantly communicates our challenges with them as and we cannot meet the payment arrangements as a result of our cash constraints. Emanating from the above, we have a payment arrangement to pay R1,5-million plus the current account with Sedibeng Water which was difficult to honour, as our billing was not happening regularly due to the system problems, ie we only billed in October 2018 for July, August and September 2018. As a result of the above, the municipality could not enforce debt collection and could subsequently not collect the anticipated revenue as per the approved budget. As mentioned earlier, our billing problems have now been resolved and our billing is up to date now.

Vaal Gamagara Supply System

The Vaal Gamagara Water Supply Scheme (Sedibeng Water) is responsible for the supply of portable bulk water services to Dikgatlong, Tsantsabane, Gamagara, and Joe Morolong local municipalities, farmers, government institutions, solar companies and mines in the Northern Cape province. The system consists of the water treatment works in Vaal Gamagara, near Delportshoop, and pump stations along the pipeline. Water is abstracted from the Vaal River and treated at the water treatment works in Vaal Gamagara and distributed through the pipeline up to Postmasburg. At Postmasburg, the Vaal River water is supplemented by ground water from Beeshoek pump station (dewatering water from Kolomela mine) and from there the water is then

pumped to Glossom reservoir and gravitates to Kathu reservoir. At Kathu, the system is then supplemented by ground water (dewatering) from the Sishen mine and supplied to Hotazel and finally to Blackrock.

Operation of the scheme

The system consists of three water sources as explained above and the Vaal River water from the plant is the only reliable source of supply as the groundwater from the mines cannot be guaranteed. The total demand on the system is currently above 25-million m³/a whereas the scheme can only supply up to 20-million m³/a and thus leaving a shortfall of 5 million m3/a. The current pipeline can only deliver the 20-million m³/a and it is also at the end of its useful life. Any additional water cannot be accommodated and thus the need for the upgrades and refurbishment of the whole scheme.

The scheme can only supply a maximum of 60 ML/day under normal circumstances, but demand is over 70 ML/day during the peak demand season. The Vaal Gamagara water treatment works (Vaal River water) can only supply a maximum of 36 ML/day under normal circumstances with the balance coming from dewatering operations at Kolomela and Sishen mines. However, the Vaal River and Kolomela systems cannot operate simultaneously at full capacity and that is the major constraint at the Postmasburg cross. One of the two systems has to be reduced to avoid damages to the infrastructure.

The Vaal Gamagara plant can only supply a maximum of 13-million m³/a and the rest of the water comes from the dewatering operations at the Kolomela and Sishen mines. The Vaal Gamagara pipeline is designed to operate at a maximum of 28 bar pressure at the Postmasburg cross and that is where it meets with the ground water from Beeshoek pump station. The pipeline from Beeshoek pump station to the Postmasburg cross is designed to operate at a maximum capacity of 12 bar pressure. The two systems cannot operate or supply water at the same time due to the difference in pressure of 28 (very high) and 12 bar (low) because it will cause the pipeline to burst.

Water supply to Gamagara local municipality and water restrictions

Water is supplied to Olifantshoek at the N14 cross and to Kathu via the pipeline after the Glossom reservoir through gravity. The water is supplied form the Vaal River, Kolomela and Sishen pump stations. The supply to Gamagara local municipality is situated on the critical and most constrained sections of the pipeline and customers on this section are impacted negatively by low pressure due to the high demand and breakdowns on the system.

However, Kathu receives most of the water from Sishen mine and Sedibeng Water only supplies Kathu East via the pipeline.

Communication regarding the low pressure and high demand on the system was sent to Gamagara local municipality and all customers on 18 October 2018. Water restrictions have been implemented. The last water restriction was on 02 October 2018 as per the communication dated 13 September 2018 and was scheduled accordingly due to non-payment of the account by the municipality.

The municipality has experienced the unfortunate unplanned water interruption for the past five days or so, that affected Kathu East (Rooisand, Siyathemba, Smartie Town (phases 1 – 4), and the whole of Olifantshoek. The municipality’s hands were tied as there was no communication from Sedibeng Water and they did not answer their phones, leaving us to speculate that they are restricting water.

In conclusion, the municipality is currently sharing Kathu’s central reservoir water with Eastern Reservoir in order to ensure that there is a basic supply of water to the Eastern Kathu until the water is restored from Sedibeng Water. We are also in talks with Kumba mine (dewatering) and Bestwood Development (Old Mutual) to take over their boreholes, to augment the Eastern Kathu supply. In Olifantshoek, tankers and Jojo tanks have been arranged to supply water through-out this unfortunate crisis. Unfortunately, Olifantshoek’s supply is solely dependent on Sedibeng Water as there are no other sources of water. 

The letter was signed by both Messrs Hantise and Leserwane.