OVERVIEW
Water National department steps in with tanks and trucks.
I
n response to the Covid-19 crisis, the National Department of Water Sector Insight and Sanitation (DWS) delivered 500 water tanks and 56 water trucks to Nafasi Water is a recent several Mpumalanga municipalities. This was to ensure that residents purchase for Infinity had a reliable supply of water to wash their hands and for drinking. Partners. The Operations and Maintenance Division of Nafasi Water is responsible for large water treatments plants at Middelburg and create 900 jobs in the Nkangala eMalahleni. Nafasi is a rebranding of Aveng Water which was purchased District Municipality. by Infinity Partners for R95-million in 2019. Infinity is owned by the The Imkomati-Usuthu Catchformer Aveng Water CEO Suzie Nkambule and E-Squared Investments. ment Management Agency The Middelburg Water Reclamation Plant (MWRP) produces no covers Mpumalanga, parts brine and avoids energy-intensive methods, a world first for a mine of Limpopo and part of the water treatment plant. Phase 2 of the eMalahleni project produces Kingdom of Swaziland and is drinking water after treating mine water from one of the collieries of Anglo American Thermal Coal. Rapid growth in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality has persuaded the Provincial Government of Mpumalanga 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 Image: Nafasi Water water treatment plant for eMalahleni Municipality. An ultra-filtration technology was used to reduce waste from 20Ml/day. responsible for water usage A total of 327 water infrastructure projects benefiting 350 259 issues relating to the following households have been completed, with a further 165 sanitation river catchment areas: Sabieprojects finalised. A bulk water supply system connecting villages Sand, Crocodile, K omati, within the Bushbuckridge area has been completed. Rand Water has Nwaswitsontso and Nwanedzi. taken over the operations of the Bushbuckridge Water Board. The Komati Basin Water A joint project with Eskom related to rain-water harvesting will Authority (KOBWA) is an also create jobs. The Siyasebenza Job Creation Initiative is intended to important agency in controlling water resources in the region. Online Resources Formed out of a cooperation agreement between South Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency: www.iucma.co.za African and Swaziland, the Komati Basin Water Authority: www.kobwa.co.za agency has built two large National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dwa.gov.za dams and is responsible for their Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za upkeep. ■
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MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2020/21
