STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE KOMATI WATER SUPPLY AUGMENTATION PROJECT IN KRIEL - NATIONAL WATER WEEK 2013

Date: 19 March 2013

I am pleased to be here today to address you at the start of National Water Week 2013 and to launch the Komati Water Supply Augmentation Project - an initiative of key strategic importance to this area. Water Week as you are aware represents a significant period on our Nations calendar. It is a time when we shine the spotlight on water – a precious and scarce resource in our country.

At this time we seek to remind all South Africans that Water is a resource without which there is no life. We also wish to re-emphasize that all of us have a role to play in protecting and conserving water. The challenges facing the water sector in our country persist. I am concerned about pollution of our water resource, an unacceptable amount of our water is wasted through leaking taps, broken pipes and a through a general disregard for its value.

There are those who steal water by using more that their allocation, there are industries that shamelessly pollute our rivers and dams without any regard for the consequences of their actions, in our homes we leave our taps running, we water our gardens in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest. There is an urgent need for behavioural change when it comes to the way we use water. While the Department is confident there are measures in place to deal with many of the challenges we face, it is also important for us as citizens to play our part.

The Komati Water Augmentation Scheme will resolve the water supply challenges to 's Duvha and Matla power stations. This project was commissioned by the Department of Water Affairs to our implementing agency the TCTA for funding and implementation in 2008. Construction began in January 2011 and the estimated date for completion is April 2014. The scheme comprises of an additional pump station at Rietfontein Weir with pipelines to Eskom’s Duvha and storage dams in .

It consists of the construction of a 58,6 km pipeline with a capacity of 1,684 m3/s (cubic meters per second) to the and construction of a 12,9 km pipeline. The project will augment the Vaal Eastern Sub-system and supply water for the new Kusile Power station for the sole benefit of Eskom. The additional yield to the Komati Water Scheme is 57 million m³ per year. The projected cost of the water scheme at completion is R1,736 billion.

In addition, KWSAP comprises the Grootdraai Dam sub-system in the and KWSAP, Usutu and Slang River sub-system.

The Komati sub-system supplies water to: Komati, Hendrina, Arnot and Duvha power station. The Nooitgedacht and Vygeboom dams as well as the Gemsbokhoek Weir were constructed by the Department of Water Affairs to provide for the requirements of the power stations, certain towns in the area and to establish the river flow in the below the dams.

A number of milestones have been reached in this project and I would like to highlight just a few of these. They include the completion of the construction of pump station, the laying on both the Duvha and Matla pipelines has been completed and the trial operation period for the project started in February 2013.

Through this project 399 job opportunities have created to date. This includes un-skilled, semi- skilled and skilled personnel, training and skills development initiatives are also progressing well.

I am also happy about the work done by my Department to assist the Emalahleni Local Municipality to overcome some of its water challenges. During the 2010/11 financial, Water Affairs refurbished the Riverview Waste Water Treatment Works through funding from the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Program. An amount of R30million has been allocated in 2013/14 financial year for additional refurbishments of Bulk Water Infrastructure and a further R20 million in the 2014/15 financial year. From 2009/10 to date the Department allocated and spent a total of R78 539 854.34 for water intervention within eMalahleni LM.

Over this week I will be hosting a number of events around the country, all part of our efforts to raise awareness around the value of water and to appeal to everyone to play their role in conserving and protecting it.

WATER IS LIFE - RESPECT IT, CONSERVE IT, ENJOY IT.

Thank you