eThekwini Municipality has appointed a contractor to rebuild the oThongathi Water Treatment Works, which was destroyed during the floods that wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal in April.

Briefing the media on Wednesday, eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the appointment of a contractor is a key milestone in the quest to re-establish regular supply of water to oThongathi.

He said if there are no objections to the procurement process, the successful contractor will be introduced to the community by the end of this week.

“The plan is to ensure that the rebuilding of the plant is completed by the first week of October this year,” said Kaunda.

oThongathi Water Treatment Works was destroyed during the floods, leading to much frustration for residents and businesses in the area.

To alleviate the challenge, Kaunda said an emergency pipeline was installed from the Nyaninga Reservoir to oThongathi South, and the communities supplied from that zone are now getting tap water four hours a day.

In addition, the municipality allocated water tankers to service the area.

“A total of 48 static tanks have also been installed. Furthermore, there are 11 boreholes, as well as a donated package plant to provide non-drinking water to the area.

“Procurement processes are underway to drill more boreholes. The community of oThongathi will be kept updated of progress on the rebuilding of the plant,” Kaunda said.

Source: South African Government News Agency