Pretoria – The Department of Water and Sanitation says water supply difficulties in Majakaneng and neighbouring areas will soon be resolved.
The department reported on Sunday that the team working in the area had on Thursday already repaired six of the 12 valves that needed attention.
“This resulted in the need to clean out the pipes, which led to a high content of chlorine in the water. The community could then not to use the water in the taps at the time the system was being flushed.
“The purchase of materials for repairs and installation of standpipes was done and the work commenced on Friday. Most of the skilled and semi-skilled workforce was also sourced from the community,” the department said.
By Friday and with the much-needed help of Magalies Water, the department said most of the fault-finding work was underway.
Households inspected for connection faults
The first 100 household connections were being investigated for connection faults and leaks. This work is a build up towards the purchase of more materials that will be used for a planned shut down from 1 – 3 April 2015.
The department said the latest report from the first set of tests has come through and it shows that the water samples tested were clear.
A second set of tests has been taken by the department. These results will indicate if the water is ready for consumption.
The department said the work of the community water forum has also helped to raise awareness in the area around everyone’s role and responsibilities with water. It has also enabled technicians and all responsible to do their work unhindered.
“The need for education and awareness cannot be underestimated and thus the important role the community water forum continues to play must be highlighted too,” the department said.
The department said it was happy the community of Makau can now access water, although the boreholes are still delivering water at a lower rate than hoped. – SAnews.gov.za
