GEORGE NEWS - New water points with on-tap water for at least 1 400 households, and newly installed water tanks and chemical toilets for more than 1 000 households in informal communities.
This is what George Municipality's Department of Human Settlements achieved, working non-stop since before the Covid-19 lockdown.
George Municipal Manager Trevor Botha said increased toilets and water points not only enable better hygiene practices but also promote social distancing.
"Covid-19 prevention measures include regular washing of hands and as little crowding as possible. Installing more toilets and water points reduces the amount of people that must use the same facilities.
"During extraordinary circumstances of an emergency such as this, Disaster Management legislation allows municipalities to reallocate funds to alleviate the impacts of a disaster. While Covid-19 is no doubt a dark cloud hanging over us all, the thin silver lining is that we can help in a tangible way that will benefit our people beyond this crisis."
He thanks the staff of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering for their planning, quick response and willingness to work long hours.
George Municipality has so far installed 68 waterpoints that will serve at least 1 400 households in areas including Thembalethu (pictured here), Syferfontein, Rosedale, Borcherds, All Bricks, Kleinkrantz and Wilderness.
Since the lockdown, the Human Settlements directorate has installed 68 new taps in areas such as Syferfontein, Thembalethu, Rosedale, Borcherds, All Bricks, Kleinkrantz and Wilderness, which will each serve between 20 and 25 informal structures per water point, which means at least 1 400 additional households are now being served. The municipality is investigating the possibility of establishing more water points. (For information: All informal settlements in George, except recent illegally invaded settlements in Thembalethu, have one tap for 25 structures within a range of 200 metres as per the national norm. In some settlements the ratio is 1:20.)
Thirty water tanks, which will ultimately serve about 1 000 households, have been delivered and are in different phases of being set up. The municipality purchased ten 5 000-litre water tanks, of which seven have been installed in Thembalethu, including two for farmers behind the settlement.
Ten 2 500-litre tanks and ten 5 000-litre tanks were donated by the Western Cape Government and have been set up on temporary platforms while permanent concrete floors are being laid. Most of these are providing relief for communities north of the Outeniqua Mountains, including informal settlements at Uniondale and Haarlem, and remote farm communities. A water tanker and driver have been commissioned by Rand Water to fill the tanks.
The Human Settlements directorate has installed 220 chemical toilets in informal areas in Thembalethu, Borcherds, Kleinkrantz and Touwsranten. This allows for a toilet ratio of one toilet for five households and in some places, depending on the layout of the area, one toilet for four households. The toilets’ service (cleaning) has also been increased from twice a week to three times a week. Eight water-borne toilets were installed in Pacaltsdorp where houses were close to existing service lines and could be connected easily.
In addition to all the new installations, Human Settlements continues with its everyday essential services including fixing water leaks of indigent households, water and sanitation emergencies in informal settlements and assistance with emergency structures during natural disasters.
George Municipality installed 220 chemical toilets that will serve about 1 000 households in Thembalethu, Borcherds, Kleinkrantz and Touwranten as part of its Covid-19 response.
To report water and sanitation emergencies during lockdown, please phone Wendy Mentor on 044 802 2026 (sanitation) and 044 801 9453 (water leaks for registered indigent households).
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