Dr Imtiaz Sooliman with officials read to hand over the borehole at the Elizabeth Donkin Psychiatric Hospital in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Picture: Gift of the Givers Facebook
Durban - The Gift of the Givers is expected to open a borehole at the Elizabeth Donkin Psychiatric Hospital in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro that will produce a yield of 14 000 litres of water per hour.
The NMB metro has been facing critical water shortages which has been exacerbated by an ongoing drought, leaving at least 200 areas without water.
The borehole is at a very strategic site in the red zone, on a very good geological rock formation and close to the airport.
Gift of the Givers has drilled, in addition, two boreholes at Alpha Primary School, one each at Malabar Primary School, Arcadia Primary School and Rufane Primary School and Jose Pearson TB Hospital.
The NGO has also drilled boreholes at Fontein Primary School, Republiek Primary School and Helenvale Primary School.
"These are going to be modified to allow for water spread to communities in the vicinity. In addition we have resuscitated a borehole at Gelvandale Stadium and at the K9 unit in Forest Hill. Our teams, in partnership with the municipality, have visited several disused boreholes with a view to resuscitate those in strategic areas immediately," the NGO said in a statement.
Water augmentation will continue with a generous donation of 500 000 litres per day from the desalination plant at Cerebos to Gift of the Givers.
"Coca Cola has given us the first of three 35 000L tankers for the process. The second one arrives tomorrow. Gift of the Givers sits in a meeting with the municipality engineers this morning to map out progress and further decisive interventions which include getting the list of areas where JoJo tanks have to be placed for most practical access in water-deprived communities.
"Bottled water deliveries by our teams to homes for the elderly, physically and mentally challenged, and the likes have commenced. We will appreciate communities pointing out springs where there is water run off in the thousands of litres per day. We will also appreciate notification of disused boreholes at institutions or communities and will assess viability," the NGO said.
Dealing with the challenges of water shedding and shutdown in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Kouga Municipality, which have also requested assistance from Gift of the Givers, can only be done with total co-operation from the entire region.
The NGO requested companies and individuals to make borehole water available to staff and neighbours, and those who can afford to install boreholes should consider the option with a view to share the water.
It said leak repairs in the community and at schools by business was gaining traction, and that total co-operation and easy access was requested.
Community members must look out for leaks in their toilet cisterns, taps and in the home environment and repair immediately, as every litre saved today means water for tomorrow in a region where minimal rain is predicted into September.
The NGO said the project was able to get off the ground thanks to collaboration from a number of partnerships.
IOL