28 Feb 2019

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has set aside funds for various projects to address water shortage in Molepolole and Thamaga. 

Speaking at the WUC stakeholders workshop in Molepolole on February 26 the waterworks engineer, Mr Seabe Mabua, said some of the projects had been funded through a World Bank loan. 

He said Molepolole, Thamaga and Thebephatshwa faced water shortages, with the demand standing at 30.2 megalitres per day against a supply of 19.5 megalitres per day.  

He said the three areas were currently supplied by underground water from Gaotlhobogwe Wellfields which had 12 boreholes, but three dried up, while one was under maintenance. 

There was also underground water from Malwelwe which had six boreholes, Suping fields also had six boreholes. Ramaphatle wellfield had three boreholes but they only supplied Thamaga. 

Mr Mabua said they over-pump boreholes to meet the demand, but this resulted in the boreholes drying up. 

He said Molepolole needed 12 000 cubic meters per day but only received 6 810 cubic meters per day or 57 per cent, the situation he said was not helped by the high number of leaking pipes reported every month. 

He also noted that the corporation was experiencing high cases of vandalism especially pipes that passed through farming areas since farmers destroyed them in order to feed their livestock. 

“Vandalism is also common in schools,” he said adding that school heads should assist given that the problem was the reason behind exorbitant bills. 

Mr Mabua said they were now undertaking network upgrading to deal with spaghetti connections and pressure management in Molepolole and Thamaga. 

This came after realising that some areas experienced low pressure to no water situations when others were provided with water. 

He further said they had installed 25 Jojo tanks in affected wards and each tank was filled twice a week. However, the water is not from external sources and therefore not to augment water supply. 

Amongst the planned projects he also said was the Mononyane-Molepolole pipeline, which would connect Bakwena Tribal Headquarters to the North-South Carrier and Mr Mabua said its design was under review. 

“This is because the project could have been undertaken in 2008 but was affected by the economic recession,” he said. 

He also explained that Thamaga would be connected to the North-South Carrier and once the project was complete, in about four months, more water would be available for Molepolole.   

Meanwhile, Kgosi Kgari Sechele III of Bakwena said while he acknowledged the shortage of water in Molepolole, protests would not be tolerated. 

He said the village had been facing water shortages for a number of years and the youths were now becoming impatient. 

Kgosi Kgari III said it was important for people to know challenges faced by WUC. ends