03 Sep 2014

Letsibogo and Lotsane dams are full and expected to supply water for a period of 20 or more months without inflow.

Addressing Palapye Sub-council on September 1, Palapye Administration Authority chairperson,  Mr Onneetse Ramogapi said the 100 cubic metres Letsibogo was 83 per cent full and expected to supply water to all areas connected to North South Carrier Scheme (NSC) for a period of 20 months without inflow.

Water from Letsibogo is pumped through the NSC to Palapye water treatment works and then treated and supplied to both Palapye and Serowe. A portion of the water is supplied to Topisi, Radisele, Mogome and Mokgware through bowsing, he said.

He said the 40 cubic metre Lotsane Dam was 84.5 per cent full and expected to supply water to the villages connected to Lotsane water supply scheme for a period of 26 months without inflow.

Villages being supplied from the dam included Tamasane, Kgagodi, Diloro, Mogapi, Mogapinyana, Matolwane, Maunatlala, Mokokwana, Mosweu, Seolwane, Lerala, Martinsdrift, Majwaneng, Ratholo, Moeng college, Manaledi, Gootau, Goo-Sekgweng, Matlhakola, Mokungwane and Lecheng.

Regarding water demand in Palapye, Mr Ramogapi said Palapye had a total demand of five mega litres per day, which was forecasted to increase to seven mega litres per day when supply is expanded to unserviced areas.

Councillors were informed that Serowe demand was estimated at eight mega litres per day whilst BIUST was estimated to be two mega litres per day, resulting in the production not meeting demand.

He said Water Utilities Corporation was coming up with plans to expand Palapye water treatment works and to install security fence at Patikwane wellfield. Touching on waste water services, Mr Ramogapi said Palapye waste treatment plant had reached its design capacity.

He said vandalism of the system especially theft of cast iron man-hole coves remained a challenge as it allowed foreign material into the system, as a result the sewer network was prone to blockages which require a lot of maintenance both periodic and routine.

In mitigating this, he said plans were underway to replace cast iron manhole covers with concrete ones that will be less attractive to thugs as compared to cast iron. ENDS