6 minute read
Water
A new dam is to be built on the Crocodile River.
Rapid growth in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality has led the Provincial Government of Mpumalanga to decide to build a new dam on the Crocodile River in the City of Mbombela.
Citizens of the Thembisile Hani Municipality will get more immediate relief from water shortages with the construction of a treatment plant on the Moses River. Acting on a disturbing report published by the Centre for Environmental Rights on the way some mining companies are using water, a provincial Environmental Management Committee has been appointed to conduct environmental impact analysis and assess climate change threats.
NuWater was contracted to reduce waste at the water treatment plant for Emalahleni Municipality. An ultra-filtration technology was used to reduce waste from 20Ml/day.
A total of 327 water infrastructure projects benefiting 350 259 households have been completed, with a further 165 sanitation projects finalised. A bulk water supply system connecting villages within the Bushbuckridge area has been completed. National government has subsequently disbanded the Bushbuckridge Water Board and Rand Water has taken over its operations.
A joint project with Eskom related to rain-water harvesting will also create jobs. The Siyasebenza Job Creation Initiative is intended to create 900 jobs in the Nkangala District Municipality.
The Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) is an important agency
ONLINE RESOURCES
De Hoop Dam: www.dhcw.co.za Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency: www.iucma.co.za Komati Basin Water Authority: www.kobwa.co.za National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dws.gov.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
An Environmental Management Committee has been established.
in controlling water resources in the region. Formed out of a cooperation agreement between South African and Swaziland, the agency has built two large dams and is responsible for their upkeep.
T h e I m k o m a t i - U s u t h u Catchment Management Agency covers Mpumalanga, parts of Limpopo and part of the Kingdom of Swaziland and is responsible for water usage issues relating to the following river catchment areas: Sabie-Sand, Crocodile, Komati, Nwaswitsontso and Nwanedzi.
T he D e H o op Dam is the c e n t r e p i e c e i n t h e l a r g e Olifants River Water Resource Development Project (ORWRDP) which is transforming the water environment for industrial, commercial and private users. As the catchment area for this huge scheme is to the north of Mpumalanga, the spinoff effect on the province is significant.
Driekoppies Dam is the perfect event venue
The Komati Basin Water Authority makes the dam available for events, sports tournaments and recreational use.
The stunning beauty of the Driekoppies Dam and its surrounds has made it possible for the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) to convert the dam into a suitable site for commercial and private recreational use. This means that at a very low fee, the public can explore and discover the scenic beauty and entertainment attractions of the Driekoppies Dam.
In order to make the information about KOBWA’s trans-boundary nature more appealing, KOBWA uses the edutainment approach by hosting educational tours around the dam and sports tournaments.
Here, people can be educated about KOBWA in a relaxed, enabling environment and this is accommodated at the Driekoppies Dam.
The Driekoppies Dam is a popular venue for music shows and private events such as picnics, braais, family fun days, baby showers, and weddings. This is
because of its spacious entertainment area which overlooks the exquisite dam. Regulars are young entrepreneurs from areas surrounding the dam who host Sunday Sessions and the Food Market.
It also offers a venue for traditional authorities wishing to host cultural activities and traditional meetings. Bike rallies and fishing tournaments by various associations are also held at the dam.
KOBWA puts safety at the forefront of all planning. There is an implementable Emergency Preparedness Plan that involves every segment of society, from government agencies to traditional authorities at community level. This ensures that entertaining at the dam is not a risk.
The Driekoppies Dam is readily available for young people who live in the Nkomazi area as a way to promote entrepreneurship among young people. With so many interesting things to do, especially on weekends, the Driekoppies Dam is the perfect destination for any event.
About KOBWA
The Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) is a bi-national company formed in 1992 through the Treaty of the Development and Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Komati River Basin. The treaty was signed by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Government of the Republic of South Africa. The authority was tasked with designing, constructing, operating and maintaining two dams and associated infrastructure. This resulted in the construction of Driekoppies Dam in Schoemansdal South
CONTACT DETAILS
Physical address: Komati Basin Water Authority Driekoppies Dam Tel: +27 13 781 0317/8/9 Fax: +27 13 781 0320 Email: driekoppies.office@kobwa.co.za Website: www.kobwa.co.za Africa (1993 to 1998) and Maguga Dam in Eswatini (1998 to 2003). The two dams were constructed mainly to provide assurance of water supply to the irrigators in both member states.
Tourism is one of the spinoffs of the development of the Driekoppies and Maguga dams. There has been an increase in recreational activities in both dams.
Technicians from GSDM Water Quality Testing Laboratory during an awareness programme to schools.
The Water Quality Testing Laboratory is situated on the N17 corridor in Ermelo. This location is bounded by the Ekurhuleni Metro of the Gauteng Province to the west, Sedibeng District Municipality of the Northern Free State to the south-west, Ehlanzeni District Municipality to the north-east, Nkangala District Municipality to the north, Amajuba District Municipality to the south-east and eSwatini to the east.
The District Municipality’s Water Quality Testing Laboratory is the only SANAS-accredited, government-owned facility in Mpumalanga Province and is evidence of Gert Sibande District Municipality’s vision to be “A community-driven district of excellence and development”.
This is also in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) vision 2030 which is “To ensure that all South Africans have access to clean running water in their homes”.
The Water Quality Laboratory is an accredited facility meeting the requirements of the ISO/ IEC 17025:2005. The centrality and the strategic location of this facility ensures easy accessibility by all stakeholders within the district and the neighbouring districts.
Services
Informed by the need to improve water quality in the district, the laboratory was established in 2011 to guarantee safe drinking water provided to millions of citizens within the district according to section 9 (1) of the Water Services Act No. 108 of 1997.
The facility provides chemical analysis, microbiological analysis and physical analysis. These services are available to all stakeholders and customers, including local municipalities and industries. The price list for water quality testing offered is available on request.
In addition, the Gert Sibande Water Quality Testing Laboratory promotes water quality and care for water in communities through active involvement in awareness programmes offered by local municipalities in the district. It also promotes careers in science by providing opportunities to students in the form of in-service training.
The laboratory boasts the provision and delivery of superior laboratory services and aims to promote and support development and culture of scientific learning. The Gert Sibande Laboratory regards its clients as valuable stakeholders whose interests are a priority for the laboratory.
Office hours Monday to Thursday: 07h30 to 13h00, 13h30 to 16h30 Friday: 07h30 to 14h00
Accredited Water Quality Testing Laborator y situated in Ermelo, Mpumalanga.
CONTACT DETAILS
Physical address: Cnr N17 Bethal and Nespan Roads, Cassim Park Postal address: PO Box 1748, Ermelo 2350 Tel: +27 17 801 7143 Email: laboratoryservices@gsibande.gov.za Website: www.gsibande.gov.za Facebook: @gertsibandedm Twitter: @GertSibandeDM Coordinates: S26 31’ 25.73” E29 58’ 19.25
