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Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor, Gary van Niekerk, has officially commissioned the R60.8 million Bushy Park Wellfield water augmentation project which the Metro said would put it on course to become more resilient despite being a water scarce region.
He said the pumping of treated borehole water directly into the Churchill pipeline would ease the pressure on the dams feeding the western suburbs, the CBD and Ibhayi areas.
“We are now enjoying the benefit of a project started two years ago in July 2021. I am especially happy that we empowered twenty-two local emerging enterprises with this project as well,” Van Niekerk said on Monday.
However, the Director for Water and Sanitation, Barry Martin, cautioned against complacency and appealed for continued vigilance regarding the City’s water resources.
“We refer to our water supply as “critical, but stable” as our water usage is still too high at around 300 Ml per day,” he said.
Martin said the average dam levels were at 25%, with the Churchill Dam at 41% and the biggest supply dam dedicated to supply the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Impofu Dam, is still at 7%.
“In order for the Impofu Dam to fill up, the Churchill Dam must overflow. We are very far from that point,” he added.
