NMBM water distribution manager, Joseph Tsatire, deputy mayor, Mkhuseli Jack, senior director of water and sanitation Barry Martin and engineer, Mathew Hills opening St George's Park Wellfield.
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Atenkosi Plaatjie
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has officially launched the St Georges Park Wellfield project which will yield 3.6 million litres of treated groundwater to surrounding areas.
The project forms part of the Metro's plans to diversify its water sources amid the unprecedented eight-year drought.
Senior Director of Water and Sanitation, Barry Martin says the Wellfield is one of four groundwater projects which stems from research started back in 2013.
"All the work that we are implementing now stems from that research and we are looking at sustainable hills here," he said.
The Metro says the project costs roughly R46 million rand which is more cost-effective than building and running a desalination plant.
"Just compare that to a desalination plant of R30m to R50 m per megalitre installation. So money well spent for us at the end of the day," Martin added.
Metro engineer, Matthew Hills says currently the plant produces 2 million litres per day to surrounding areas including Humewood and Central until water abstraction sustainability has been established.
"We want to ensure that our abstraction is sustainable and that it doesn't affect the aquifer negatively and over the next few weeks we will slowly ramp up production," Hills said.
Hills says there is a filtration system onsite to remove metallic irons and the non-potable water which will be recycled to irrigate the park and collected for irrigating the centre islands in Gqeberha and Kariega.
Martin says the Bushy Park and Coega-Kop groundwater projects are expected to be launched next.
He says the Metro expects to supply 27 mega litres of groundwater by the end of April into the system per day but the main target is to supply 50 mega litres a day.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Mkhuseli Jack reiterated the Metro's call for residents to use 50 litres of water per day.
