The water challenge in the district coincided with winter when the water supply fell below 25%. Continued reliance on boreholes was not sustainable and the long-term solution for the district municipality was the provision of bulk infrastructure on a much broader scale. There was a budget requirement of R3.189 billion which excluded projects that were implemented and new projects to be registered for funding. The water backlog in households not serviced stood at 66 441 (35%) househplds and the sanitation backlog was at 104 009 households (55%). To eradicate the backlog the municipality needed a budget of R688 million. People in rural areas required jojo tanks as well as vegetable gardens. The municipality was of the view that the funding for water projects would not help the municipality meet government's target of eradicating both the water and sanitation backlogs by 2014.