Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is pleased with the progress on Loskop Bulk Water Supply Project for both Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.
In a statement on Sunday, Minister Mchunu said that a massive job is currently underway on the Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply Project to abstract water from the Loskop Dam and to supply water to 21 villages under Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga Province and to eight villages of Moutse-East under Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in the Limpopo Province.
Loskop Bulk Water Supply Project is a cross-boundary project worth R1.67 billion and comprises of five work packages which is mainly of the laying of 30km pipelines from Loskop Dam.
Another part of the project is to construct two water reservoirs, pump stations and Water Treatment Works that will supply 20 megalitres per day to the communities of Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, and three megalitres of water per day to the community of Moutse East in Limpopo.
Minister Mchunu and Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi conducted an inspection at the construction sites of the project last week Friday in Verena, Mpumalanga.
Minister Mchunu expressed his satisfaction with the progress of three of the five work packages currently taking place concurrently. He said the project is scheduled to be completed before end of 2024.
Following the inspections at the construction sites, the Minister interacted with the communities of both Thembisile Hani Municipality in Mpumalanga and Elias Motsoaledi in Limpopo.
The Minister assured the residents that the Loskop Bulk Water Supply Project will bring them much needed relief.
“As the Department we have noted with concern the water challenges that have been experienced by the communities of both these municipalities for a long time. It is for this reason we have started with this big project that entails a 30-kilometre pipeline work from Loskop Dam.”
“The abstracted water will then be treated and stored, before being taken to the people of Thembisile Hani Municipality and those in Moutse-East in Limpopo. We appeal to you to be patient because a big job has already started, and we hope that it will be completed before the end of next year,” Minister Mchunu said.
The site inspection visits form part of the National Water Month by the Department of Water and Sanitation, commemorated annually between 01 to 31 March.
This commemoration is an expansion from the United Nations (UN)’s annual World Water Day on 22 March. – SAnews.gov.za
