FOCUSMagalies
FOCUSMagalies WaterAccess to clean drinking water is a right of every South African.Subsequent to extending its footprint in the newareas of operation with the addition of the Far-West and South-West regions, Magalies Water hasdedicated time and energy to ensure the newregions are adequately serviced and residents enjoy thebenefits of clean drinking water up to the standardswhere the entity has previously been operating.The proclamation of the disestablishment andeventually the integration of the operations of the formerSedibeng Water into Magalies Water has resulted in theextension of the services of Magalies Water into theNgaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, the Dr RuthSegomotsi Mompati District Municipality and parts ofthe Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality of NorthWest Province.The new organisation did not sit on its laurels or spendtime scanning the environment for long, but jumpedstraight into action with several projects that werehanded over before their completion.local municipalities in Ngaka Modiri Molema DM werecompleted. Some of the projects were already at anadvanced stage, some had already experienced delaysdue to different factors, while others had only recentlybeen started.Dinokana Rural Water Supply WSIG ProjectThis project was implemented in 2023 under “OperationBulela Metsi” in the village of Dinokana, RamotshereMoiloa Local Municipality, which falls under the NgakaModiri Molema District Municipality. The Dinokanaproject was ushered in and reprioritised as part of theProjectsThe disestablishment of Sedibeng Water meant thatMagalies Water had to take over the responsibility ofmaking sure that certain projects in various areas and
FOCUSintergovernmental interventions led by the then Ministerof Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu and the NorthWest Provincial Government. WSIG refers to the WaterServices Infrastructure Grant, a national grant managedby the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).The project scope entails the refurbishment andupgrade of the Dinokana rural water-supply infrastructure,which includes highlift-pump refurbishment and anupgrade from 2Ml/day to 4Ml/day; refurbishment ofboreholes; upgrading of the springwater pump stationand pipeline; refurbishment of the distribution system upto the bulkwater reservoirs; and constructing an additional2Ml reservoir to provide additional gravity pressure.The Dinokana Water Supply Intervention project is beingimplemented in four phases:Phase 1: Bulk pipeline distribution construction, includingreservoir and refurbishment of existing transmission lines.Phase 2: Refurbishment of boreholes and additionaldrilling and equipping of boreholes.Phase 3: Reticulation and standpipe at 200m radialdistance within village boundary.Phase 4: Upgrading pump station and pumping lineto allow both reservoirs to be fed by pump station. Theobjective is to provide an additional 35 000 residentswith standpipes.Having conducted and covered all the necessary stages ofimplementation, the project is currently near to the closeoutstage, when a formal handover will be conducted.Upgrading of Mmabatho Water Treatment WorksThe saying “out of strife always comes growth” aptly fitsthe conceptualisation and planning of the augmentationof bulkwater supply to the City of Mahikeng and itsperi-urban villages. The city and villages lie within theMahikeng Local Municipality in the Ngaka Modiri MolemaDistrict Municipality.The objective of the Mmabatho Water TreatmentWork (WTW) Project is to increase the capacity of thewater-treatment works and to improve the bulkwaterdistribution to the region. As the capital of the North WestProvince, Mahikeng has, like many South African urbanareas, experienced an ever-growing population due tothe migration of people from other areas who are drivenby a need to seek a better life and more opportunities.As a mixed settlement that consists of both urban areasand peri-urban villages, Mahikeng has consistently beencharacterised by significant backlogs in water supply andsanitation. This was clear from the results of the Census2011, which was completed shortly before the projectwas conceptualised.The augmentation work involved upgrading theexisting 20Ml/d Mmabatho WTW to a 30Ml/d plant inorder to address the water balance in a local municipalitythat supplies a population of nearly 300 000 people,residing in 102 villages as well as the city’s suburbs.Key to the successful implementation of our projectsat Magalies Water has always been good cooperation,engagement and constructive relations with all relevantstakeholders such as local municipalities, Water ServiceAuthorities involved as beneficiaries of the project andlocal traditional leadership, when the project falls withintheir area of jurisdiction. In addition, we source locallabour and materials and ensure the involvement of thelocal business community.The upgrading of the Mmabatho Water TreatmentWorks is expected to the completed by August 2025. ■
