A CONTINGENCY plan was set in motion by the Blue Crane Route Municipality as from March 5 to address the chronic water supply problems that residents of Somerset East have been experiencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents of Somerset East have been experiencing water problems for a long time. Sometimes certain parts of town have no water for up to a day at a time and sometimes for short periods only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some schools have had to close early at times as they had no water supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Nigel Delo, acting municipal manager of the Blue Crane Route Municipality, the first step of the plan was to implement water restrictions effective from March 7 until further notice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He admitted that the BCRM was facing a water crisis, that raw water level dams were low due to the drought and that routine maintenance had not been done timeously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime workers attempted to address the serious problem of a blocked pipe line from Lake Bertie\/Orange Fish water treatment works Somerset East\/Cookhouse) but to no avail and therefore the assistance of Aurecon and Bosch Munitech has been requested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other key matters in the contingency plan will also be addressed promptly and hopefully completed by the end of this month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These matters are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n .<\/span> Emergency equipment to be purchased in order to deliver to areas where no water is available;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Furrows to be cleaned and mud to be removed from Lake Bertie;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Application to be made to the Department of Water Affairs for a grant to fund refurbishing boreholes;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Leaks at the Hill Reservoirs to be repaired;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Re-negotiating water quantities with the Somerset East Irrigation Board;<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Submission to increase water rights to the Department of Water Affairs (Somerset East and Cookhouse);<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Implementation of a job card system to ensure productivity; and <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n .<\/span> Streamlining of functions between water staff and Bosch Munitech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plans are also in place to implement a drought relief project in order to minimise water losses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These include the installation of a pipeline between Bestershoek and the Westview reservoirs by the end of June this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents have expressed their relief to learn that a plan has been put in place to address the frustrating water problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to one resident, \u201cOn paper it looks fine but I will only believe the plan is working when we have clean water in the pipes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlso, I am glad to know that communication with the community is to be done in future as then at least we can be prepared for a water crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To report water leakages and other water related problems, contact the Technical Services Department on 042 243 6400.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A CONTINGENCY plan was set in motion by the Blue Crane Route Municipality as from March 5 to address the chronic water supply problems that residents of Somerset East have been 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