According to the Newcastle Municipality’s IDP, the water infrastructure in Newcastle East is in relatively good condition. However, the same cannot be said for Newcastle West, which includes the CBD and surrounding suburbs. “The area has aging asbestos networks which are resulting in high maintenance costs. The estimated capital investment required for this is in the order of R500 million,” the Municipality stated in its approved IDP review.
The Municipality also highlighted the need to investigate pressure management improvements in the Arbour Park and Lennoxton areas, where low water pressure is currently a problem.
Moreover, the Municipality noted the necessity of a new pumping main from Ngagane Plant to Braakfontein Reservoirs. “The existing two lines do have sufficient capacity for the medium term but require maintenance, and to decommission one line to carry out repairs will result in inadequate supply owing to the insufficient storage capacity at Braakfontein reservoirs,” explained the Municipality in its IDP Review.
As these issues are examined, the local municipal entity is also addressing significant water losses. A preliminary assessment of water use efficiency and Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in the Newcastle Water Supply Scheme area revealed alarmingly high system losses.
“It was estimated that the total Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in the supply area is a staggering 65%. The main areas of concern are Madadeni and Osizweni, where water losses mainly from onsite leaks are resulting in losses of at least 26Ml/day. The average consumption per household in Madadeni is 44.6kl per month with almost zero payment and no credit control interventions,” stated the report. The situation is similarly dire in Osizweni, which has approximately 27,200 households.
To combat this, the Municipality has secured R24 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) to reduce non-revenue water in Madadeni. However, a total of R150 million will be needed to complete the programme.
Furthermore, this initiative includes repairing private leaks and installing flow regulators in each household in Madadeni and Osizweni. These measures aim to recover an additional 26Ml per day, providing a critical buffer for the construction of the raw water supply line from Ntshingwayo Dam to the Ngagane Water Treatment Works (WTW), and simultaneously increasing the capacity of the Ngagane WTW.
The Newcastle Municipality cautioned that without these interventions, there would be insufficient water to support any new developments.
As the Municipality addresses the ageing water infrastructure and the substantial water losses affecting the community, what are your thoughts on these developments?
Share your views in the comment section below.
