Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is delighted that work to supply Mpumalanga and Limpopo villages with water is proceeding smoothly.
The water project is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2024, according to the minister.
The Loskop regional bulk water supply project will abstract water from the Loskop Dam and supply it to 21 villages under the Thembisile Hani local municipality in Mpumalanga and to eight villages of Moutse-East under the Elias Motsoaledi local municipality in Limpopo.
The cross-boundary project is worth R1.67-billion and comprises five work packages, mainly the laying of 30km pipelines from the Loskop Dam.
The second leg of the project is to construct two water reservoirs, pump stations and water treatment works that will supply 20 megalitres daily to communities of Thembisile Hani municipality and three megalitres of water daily to villagers in Moutse-East.
Last week Mchunu, accompanied by his deputies David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi, led a departmental team on site inspection at Verena in Mpumalanga.
The visit formed part of the National Water Month by the department which is commemorated every year in March.
Mchunu assured residents that the Loskop bulk water supply project will offer some relief.
“As the department, we have noted with concern the water challenges that have been experienced by the communities of both these municipalities for a long time,” he said.
“It is for this reason [that] we have started this big project that entails a 30-kilometre pipeline work from Loskop Dam.
“The abstracted water will then be treated and stored before being taken to the people of Thembisile Hani municipality and those in Moutse-East in Limpopo.
“We appeal to you to be patient, because a big job has already started and we hope that it will be completed before the end of next year.”
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