DIRECTORATE OF INFRUSTRUCTURE AND BASIC SERVICE
Core Responsibilities
The Infrastructure and Basic Services Directorate charged with the overall responsibility for maintenance, monitoring, upgrades, and new developments of all the engineering services of the Municipality namely electrical, roads and storm water, water services, sanitation services and building control and maintenance, forward planning, budgeting and management for the above services is also the responsibility of the directorate.
The installation and provision of infra structural services, and basic services consisting of water, electricity and roads and storm water throughout the area of jurisdiction of the municipality
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Water Services
Water Resource Management
The main source of water for the municipality is the Witbank Dam with a holding capacity of 104, 6 million cubic meters. The water abstraction is by means of pump station which is currently under upgrade to conform to Eskom’s demand side Management. The total estimate upgrade cost is R15m. Bulk lines have been replaced to R5, 2m.
Provision of basic water services to farming/industrial communities by means of boreholes and rudimentary structure to an amount of R2, 9m.
Challenges:The overall demand for the Municipality far exceeds the allowable water extraction from the dam. Expansion of the extraction permit has been submitted to the department. The ageing of infrastructure poses the biggest challenge as it is the developed areas, and also has to keep up with the demand of increasing development. Irregular and or non-periodic maintenance as a result of equipment manning critical services and non-availability of critical spares.
Water Services Management:
This is mainly on the user side of water resource manly by: residential use, mining and industrial usage. Isolating, regulating and monitoring or measuring devices to an estimated amount of R5.4m has been installed. Various network lines for residential and business areas have been replaced to an amount of R20.5m. Total new connections done are approximately 5930 with service connections of an amount of R10,7m. Approximately 7800 families have access to basic water services which is been installed at an estimated cost of R5.2m.
Sanitation Services
Sewerage Purification Works
A total of 10 sewerage purification works are located within Emalahleni of which most of there are operating at full capacity with ageing equipments. Two major SPW are currently under upgrading to an amount of R250m to cope with incoming floods as a result of development taking place. Studies are conducted and business plans are submitted to source funds for upgrading of other two major SPW. Main outfall sewer lines and linklines are installed and upgraded to an amount of R6m. New pump station is being build at an amount of about R3m.
Challenges: Spillages, blockages and overflows as a result of ageing infrastructure, outdated equipments and incapacity of the sewerage purification works. Inadequate and fractional funding of project poses difficulties in a sense that a project cannot be commissioned for full operationalization taking over of previous mining villages.
Sewerage Services
This is on the user side of sanitation services for all kinds of used namely: residential, business and industrial. Farming, rural and industrial villages are been provided with basic level of sanitation (VIP) to an estimated amount of R10m. A total of approximately 3228 have been provided with sewer connections to a value of R7m.
Challenges: Permission from landowner to provide services to farming/industrial communities, incapability of network lines due to increased inflows (over crowding of dwelling). Ageing infrastructure which requires replacement or upgrade. Unavailability of properly equipped working tools.
Roads and Stormwater
Emalahleni is a mining/Industrial hub of Mpumalanga which therefore means a lot of mining activities in and around. This posses a big threat to the roads and streets infrastructure by heavy motor vehicles. Roads infrastructure consists of both Municipal and Provincial routes.
A total amount of R15m has been spent on maintenance of roads and streets, this includes both patching and re-sealing of roads/streets. Maintenance of stormwater system has been done for an approximate amount of R2,5m. Provision of basic access roads to informal settlements is carried out under maintenance with an annual budget amount of ±R2.1m. New roads to formalise new settlements have been provided by use of Labour Intensive Construction methods at an estimated amount of R30m. In partnership with SANRA the Municipality has completed one of the major roads through town.
Electrical Services
Bulk Services
A total of six bulk intake points from Eskom exists within the Municipality. Bulk supply lines have been completed to feed new formalized settlements. To an amount of R3.2m. Link lines to other new settlements are done at ±R2.2m with new sub-station been build for ±R3.8m. Ring feed supplies to existing formal settlement has been for R1.2m. Replacement of internal main supply cables between major substations is completed at R2.5m. Replacement and refurbishment of main breakers is been scheduled for an annual amount of ±R2.1m.
Reticulation Network
Internal networks upgrades are annually budgeted for ±R3.1m. A total of 2512 new connections has been done at an estimated cost of R7.5m at both new and existing settlements.
Challenges: Electricity losses which are at ±19% due to the following: illegal connections, unmetered new developments, non or little existence of bulk or zonal meters. Unmetered public areas or municipal consumption. Public Lighting: Street and residential lighting is been budgeted for R2.9m. On annual basis high mast lighting has been completed at a budget of R2.4m and scheduled for other new and existing settlements
