10 Apr 2019

Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) chief executive officer, Mr Mmetla Masire, says there is need for Letlhakane’s water network to be rehabilitated to address water shortage.

Mr Masire said this during a kgotla meeting in Letlhakane on April 8.

However, he stated that funding for Letlhakane network rehabilitation project was not yet approved.

He said leakages affected efficient water distribution across the village as supply exceeded demand.

He said 27 000 people of Letlhakane required 145 cubic metres per hour, while WUC produced 173 cubic metres per hour from the existing boreholes.

He stated that there were various issues that the corporation needed to consider to address customers’ grievances, citing water distribution, service, water interruptions, unsatisfactory response to queries, power outages and high bills.

Power outages, he said, led to water interruptions, adding that the corporation was to introduce the use of GPS to locate water pipes network in order to establish why there was acute water shortage at Tawana ward.

He stated that installing generators to provide back-up during power outages was not feasible because they had previously been stolen.

Mr Masire stated that it was essential to have a strategy in place to return service provision to normal during water interruptions

He said the corporation had plans to add more boreholes to the existing ones and partner with mining companies operating in Letlhakane to address water shortage.

On other issues, he indicated that air pressure relieve valves should be installed in the water system to reduce pressure in the pipes.

He said WUC has decided to install smart-metres, which would enable them to collect metre readings without going to homesteads, and the introduction of prepaid water system could be considered after implementation of smart metres.

Mr Masire said the corporation would follow up why bowsing was not done to schools and hospitals as initially proposed.

He further indicated that some of the sewerage ponds in the village were overflowing and funds had been allocated to expand them, while a consultant had been engaged to conduct a survey.

Mr Masire was responding to Councillor Aaron Baitsemang of Letlhakane South who had called for introduction of prepaid metres, saying it could cut exorbitant water bills.

Councillor Baitsemang also requested WUC to empower general managers since procurement was done in Palapye.

He also called for provision of labourers, dismissing the issue of lack of excavating machines as the reason why some services remained behind.

In addition infant mortality he said was high in Letlhakane due to lack of water.

He was also responding to Mr Otsile Mmatlakgomo, who had requested for the installation of a power back-up to ensure efficient water supply during power outages.

For his part, Water superintendent, Mr Mmothi Segale said most of the water pipes were dilapidated, hence leakages.

WUC general manager in Letlhakane, Mr Kutlwano Simon said Tawana ward experienced water shortage because of its location.

Kgosi Ewetsemang Retlhatloleng expressed doubts on whether there could be water shortage in Letlhakane, saying the problem was with staff. ENDS