Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

Question by: 
Hon Tertuis Simmers
Answered by: 
Hon Anton Bredell
Question Number: 
1
Question Body: 

With reference to the 2016/17 audit cycle during which six municipalities did not have approved policies for the routine maintenance of water infrastructure:

  1. What are the names of these identified municipalities;
  1. whether his Department has provided these municipalities with a draft or concept water infrastructure maintenance plan; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Answer Body: 

1.1 The four (4) municipalities identified, are:

  • George
  • Hessequa
  • Beaufort West
  • Oudtshoorn
    1. No. However, all the municipalities in the Western Cape Province have Asset Management Plans which are audited by the Audit General as part of the annual auditing process. In addition, all municipalities must incorporate Water Service Development Plans as part of their Integrated Development Plans which inform their budget respective. These high level plans focus on infrastructure needs for the medium and long terms, and in addition includes aspects of maintenance and refurbishment.

The role that the Department has played and is playing has resulted in the following initiatives as part of its integrated water response plan to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage and maintain water related infrastructure:

  1. Appointment of a group of professional engineers which have been assigned

     to each District to provide support

  1. Appointment of Geohydrologists to assist municipalities with ground water

     management.

Over and above the initiatives mentioned above, the Department supported municipalities to undertake the following initiatives:

George Municipality:

  • The Municipality does have a maintenance programme to undertake routine

maintenance on Electro and Mechanical equipment on all water and waste water treatment plants.

  • The Municipality makes allowances on the annual Capital Budget for the

replacement and/or renewal of water and sewer pipelines as informed by an incident data base.

  • George Municipality made allowance on the 2018/19 budget for the  

     development of a Water Infrastructure Maintenance Plan.

Hessequa Municipality:

  • The Municipality is finalising the Water Infrastructure Maintenance Plan and

     should be approved by Council within the next 3 months.

  • The Municipality uses a risk assessment and maintenance management plan

     to guide infrastructure maintenance prioritisation, which includes all water

     infrastructure.

 

Beaufort West Municipality:

  • The Municipality does have a maintenance programme to undertake routine

     maintenance on water and waste water treatment plants.

  • The Municipality also utilises the information obtained from the Complaints

     Management System to inform decisions about asset replacement and

     maintenance.

Oudtshoorn Municipality:

  • The refurbishment of water infrastructure takes place on a continuous basis and

     is prioritized according to needs and the availability of funds.

Date: 
Friday, June 22, 2018
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