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Critical EC water canal only to be completed by April 2024

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Dear Editor

A critical water canal responsible for securing 70% of Nelson Mandela Bay’s (NMB) water supply will only be repaired by April 2024, some seven years after collapsing. Repair work will also significantly disrupt the city’s water supply for up to three weeks.

The canal in the lower Sundays River Valley, which is a lifeline to both the farming community in the valley and NMB, collapsed in 2017. Temporary measures have kept it operational since then. Although this is one of our region’s most critical pieces of bulk water infrastructure, repair work has been repeatedly delayed.

The Department of Water Affairs, the custodian of all bulk water infrastructure, cited problems, including contractual issues with SMMEs, procurement issues, availability of cement, and inclement weather for the long delays.

To fully rectify the collapsed canal, a new 450-meter section has had to be built, and once completed, this will be tied into the existing canal infrastructure. The new infrastructure will allow water to be diverted around the collapsed section of the canal.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) recently visited the site and can confirm that, while construction of the current phase of the project is expected to be completed in December, the tie-in between the existing and the constructed canal will likely only happen in April next year.

This was confirmed by Mike Primmer, CEO of the Lower Sundays River Water User Association, who noted that the water supply to the canal will have to be shut down completely for the final stage of the construction work to commence.

This will mean that for an estimated three weeks, the Nelson Mandela Bay region will be unable to receive any water from the Gariep Dam, rendering the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Plant inoperable. The municipality will then be solely reliant on the western dams and groundwater sources.

It is vitally important that contingency measures are put in place as a matter of urgency, as such an extended disruption in supply will place an exceptional burden on the Metro. The Scheepersvlakte Dam, a balancing dam that forms part of this water supply system, only has sufficient storage capacity for two to three days.

It is imperative that the canal works be completed to ensure long-term water security for the residents of the Bay, but it is just as important that every possible step is taken to ensure minimal disruptions to residents.

The DA will ensure that the city prepares a full contingency plan for the period. The DA is in your corner, fighting for you. Together, we can get NMB working again.

Regards

Cllr Dries van der Westhuizen
DA NMB Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Engineering

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