The Bushbuckridge villages have access to water through the Hoxane Water Treatment Works, Inyaka bulk water supply system and through boreholes. There are two boreholes, one of which has been decommissioned due to frequent vandalism.
(a) (i) The community does not have reliable access to water due to leakages caused by illegal connections, which results in the supply system not being able to cater for all villages. The municipality has implemented a rationing programme to ensure that all residents have access to water.
The water rationing programme has been communicated to all communities through ward councillors and any shutdowns that impact on the water supply are communicated timeously through the municipality’s communications systems.
(ii) The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality is currently in a process of data cleansing to verify all households where meters were installed for billing purposes. This process should be completed by the end of the current financial year so that billing can commence in the beginning of the next financial year (2022/2023).
(b) The municipality is implementing a project to replace the asbestos pipeline with steel pipeline, it is anticipated that the project will be completed during the 2024/25.
(c) The Municipality is implementing its Water Conservation and Demand Management strategy (WCDM) and Water Services by-laws which are undergoing the process of gazetting. The municipality has initiated the procurement processes to appoint service providers.
The WCDM Strategy includes projects such as:
(d) The municipality is currently implementing a project to install an additional clear water pump at the Hoxane Water Treatment Plant which will increase the volumes pumped by the plant from 22 Ml/day to 31 Ml/day to the Ndonga Reservoir that supplies the villages. The Hoxani Bulk Water Supply Scheme project, which is due to commence at the beginning of 2023/24, will also improve water supply to the villages in Bushbuckridge when is completed.
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