The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Gift of the Givers Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality have partnered on a series of urgent interventions to avert a humanitarian crisis in the Metro.
The Chamber announced on Wednesday that in partnership with the Municipality, it will coordinate the efforts of local businesses that have volunteered to help repair the Metro's severe backlog of water leaks.
This will take place through an Adopt A Leak initiative which is in the process of finalisation.
Business Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen says that with leaks accounting for 29% of the Metro's daily water consumption, and a running backlog in which new leaks are reported almost as fast as existing leaks are repaired, accelerating the pace of repairs is critical to reining in water losses and conserving the Metro's water supply.
"Taps running dry risks an unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis in the Metro and this is a time when we all need to stand together and work for the greater good of Nelson Mandela Bay," said Van Huyssteen.
"We have agreed with Gift of the Givers to openly share our plans and resources and coordinate our efforts, making the business and civil society response to the water crisis more efficient and effective."
Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, who arrived in the Metro with his team on Tuesday, said they had started borehole drilling within hours of their arrival, focusing on disadvantaged areas in the "red zone", at the most imminent risk of running out of water.
They will also be tracing existing boreholes that are still viable and can be restored to use, providing immediate access to water.
The organisation will also be installing water tanks at the sites to be serviced by municipal water trucks, so that residents can collect water at any time without queuing or waiting for a water truck to arrive.
Van Huyssteen said the Chamber's water crisis fund would provide a mechanism for businesses to contribute towards the various actions which will be undertaken to rein in water losses and mitigate risks associated with the water crisis.
Nelson Mandela Bay Joint Operations Centre on the Water Crisis spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi said the JOIC welcomes the initiatives and will do whatever is necessary to make sure this initiative succeeds.
