Dutch fund project to help end bucket system

Friday, July 1, 2011

East London - East London Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha's mission to end the use of the bucket system in the Metro has been boosted with R2.1 million funding from the city's Dutch sister city.

The announcement was made after a meeting between Ncitha and Dutch city Leiden's water project leader, Kees Bodegom.

The money will be spent on a five-year sanitation project as part of Leiden's long-standing partnership with Buffalo City.

"We're happy that Leiden is assisting us in eradicating sanitation challenges. We have put sanitation as a priority on our list of things we will be doing to better people's lives," said Ncitha.

She said the project would go a long way in meeting President Jacob Zuma's commitment to South Africans to eradicate sanitation problems by 2014.

Bodegom said the project would see the metro take a leading position in sustainable sanitation in the country.

"The main vision for this project is to deliver good services to the people, improve sanitation, tackle waste management and create jobs," said Bodegom.

Metro sanitation manager Mark Westerberg added that R100 million was needed to completely eradicate sanitation backlogs, as opposed to the R36 million that the metro has budgeted.

He also referred to the King Williamstown Regional Sewerage Scheme, which when completed will result in the decommissioning of the Bhisho and Breidbach ponds and the upgrading of Zwelitsha Treatment Works.

"The scheme consists of seven phases that will cost an estimated R400 million to complete. Work has started on phase one at a cost of R30 million and comprises constructing an outfall sewer from Schonville Water Treatment Works to Zwelitsha Regional Treatment Works," said Westerberg.

He said phase two would see the upgrading of the Zwelitsha Water Treatment Works, which is still in the design phase.