05 Mar 2020

The cost for bowsing water to Makopong and Draaihoek between August 2019 and January 2020 was P527 840.18, the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Mr Kefentse Mzwinila told Parliament on Wednesday.

Minister Mzwinila said the amount included fuel amounting to P327 110.70, substance allowance claimed by drivers at P88 200 and overtime accrued by drivers amounting to P112 529.48.

He explained that the ministry was fully aware of the water shortage in the villages of Makopong/Draaihoek, further explaining that Makopong was supplied from two low yielding boreholes being BH8808 and BH8809 yielding 0.032 million liters per day and 0.048 million liters respectively.

Mr Mzwinila said Draaihoek was supplied from an independent borehole BH5081, yielding 0.04 million liters per day against an average demand of 0.084 million liters per day, resulting in a supply deficit of 0.044 million per day. The total deficit at Makopong /Draaihoek is 0.113 million liters per day.

According to the minister, water bowsing was undertaken to mitigate the supply deficit, three water bowsers each with a carrying capacity of 0.012 million liters were deployed daily to ferry water from Werda, approximately 36km from the Makopong reservoirs.

The water bowsers average seven loads per day resulting in an augmentation of 0.084 million liters per day.

Mr Mzwinila said the water was bowsed into Makopong Reservoir, which is connected to the Draaihoek Transfer Scheme by a booster pump station located at Makopong Reservoir Site.

“This reservoir transmits bowsed water amounting to 0.056 million liters per day to Makopong and 0.028 million liters to Draaihoek.

Bowsing reduces deficit at Makopong from 0.069 million liters per day to 0.013 and from 0.044 million liters per day to 0.016 million liters per day at Draaihoek,” he said.

He was responding to the Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi South, Mr Sam Brooks who had asked the minister if he was aware of the water shortage at Makopong and Draaihoek villages and when he would provide them with water.

MP Brooks also wanted to know the cost of bowsing water from August 2019 to January 2020 and the cost of the project if water was to be connected to those two villages. ENDS