Keeping the water-treatment plants up and running as well as water supplies is key and so the Western Cape Government is assisting local municipalities through its Emergency Municipal Load Shedding Relief Grant.
The grant’s 2022-’23 financial year is being used to allocate funding and to procure and install emergency diesel generators.
These generators are specifically to be used for water treatment, water distribution and wastewater systems during times of prolonged load shedding.
A total of R2 950 000 was allocated to the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM). It is in the process of procuring generators from the emergency funding.
Two of them will be placed in Hopefield, one in St Helena Bay and another in Saldanha.
SBM will also procure additional generators with its own funding.
The tender for the supply of the emergency generators has already been awarded and the order for the supply of these generators has been placed, the municipality said in a statement.
“Prolonged power outages cause operational challenges for municipal water supply,” the municipality explained. “During extended periods of power outages or load shedding, some areas may experience low water pressure or a temporary disruption in water supply.
In addition, interrupted electricity supply to pump stations increases the risk of sewer spillage.
“As part of SBM’s mitigation measures, existing and additional generators that can supply electricity to reservoirs and pump stations, will enable a continuous potable water supply service to consumers and maintain the sewerage system.”
Residents can help relieve pressure on the municipal system by using less water to conserve storage levels during load shedding.
