Construction of water plant to start
2009-03-26
Sieb Sieberhagen
CONSTRUCTION of the multi-million rand water treatment works on Paarl Mountain is due to start next month. It will supply approximately 20% of the current municipal water demand. Pierre Uys, Western Cape minister of local government, environmental affairs and development planning, announced last week that R37,4 million has been allocated for this project (with R29,6 million coming from province and the balance from the Drakenstein Municipality). Construction of the treatment works north of the Mill Water picnic area will start in April and it is anticipated that it will be completed by August next year. This project will benefit 25 157 households and will reduce dependence on Wemmershoek Dam (owned by the City of Cape Town), substantially reducing the cost of water supply to Paarl. The growing water needs of Paarl has been partially fed from the dams on Paarl Mountain, topped up by water from the Berg River, and is currently chlorinated, but concern over health hazards has led to the decision to construct the water treatment plant. The plant will have an initial capacity of 8 Megalitres per day. “This will enable Drakenstein to maximise the existing water supply scheme,” Uys said. Mayor Charmaine Manuel added that the establishment of the water works is reason to celebrate. “We are jubilant about the new facilities. We thank the provincial government for this partnership. It is a great contribution to Paarl’s growth and development,” she said. Fears that the treatment works will be an eyesore on Paarl Mountain, are to be addressed by various mitigation measures to make it less obtrusive. The plant will be sunk up to five metres into the ground where geologically possible and will be limited to a height of six metres above the natural ground level. The walls of the buildings will be clad by stone sourced on site and the roofs will be planted with species indigenous to Paarl Mountain. Light sources will concentrate into the building with the minimum visibility to the outside. * Uys has also approved the registration of two additional projects. The first is the upgrading of the bulk water supply in Simondium, with funding amounting R1,9 million. A total of 1461 households will benefit from this project. The other is the Nieuwedrift bulk sewer which is to cost R1,7 million, with a view to establishing a farmworker settlement north of Paarl.
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