Municipal utility Johannesburg Water said on
Tuesday it was implementing infrastructure programmes in the township of
Lenasia to ensure sustainable and quality services to all residents.
In a statement the utility, which is solely owned
by the city of Johannesburg and serves an estimated consumer base of
5.1-million people, said Lenasia and surrounding areas would soon benefit from
a pipe replacement programme, the upgrade of a pump station, a new reservoir to
be built and a new balancing tank at a wastewater treatment plant in
Bushkoppies.
It said the rolling out of the 15 kilometre pipe
replacement programme would reduce the number of bursts and blockages.
“Johannesburg Water has six projects underway
in the area amounting to just over R45-million to replace water pipes that are
aimed at reducing water interruptions in the area,” it said.
The work, which started in February and has
resulted in 84 local labourers being employed, is expected to be completed in
the next few weeks.
Johannesburg Water said it was also upgrading the
Lenasia pump station at a cost of R13-million with a new generator and
completing a new balancing tank at the Bushkoppies wastewater treatment plant
at cost of over R85-million which was due to be commissioned at the end of
October.
“I am excited about the new developments in the
Lenasia area which will immensely benefit the community in the long run,”
city of Johannesburg member of the mayoral committee for environment,
infrastructure and service delivery Nico de Jager said.
“We urge all communities to be patient and we
are working around the clock to ensure quality work is delivered.”
Lenasia was rocked by often-violent protests earlier this month over shacks erected on illegally occupied land. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/joburg-water-invests-in-lenasia-infrastructure-to-improve-services-2019-08-27/rep_id:4136
