Delmas on path to clean water

2006-01-25 20:58

Johannesburg - A borehole will be connected to a reservoir in Delmas to prevent another typhoid outbreak, said the Mpumalanga local government and housing department on Wednesday.

The Delmas municipality had appointed a contractor to connect the borehole to the existing Delmas reservoir.

The connection, which would cost R2m, would ensure water was dosed with chlorine at the reservoir's dosing plant before being pumped to the public.

"This will ensure there is enough contact time for the water to be treated with chlorine," said the department.

Hundreds of people fell ill and a number died after contracting typhoid in the town last year.

The department said the contractor already had been handed over the site and was expected to start work this week. The connection was expected to completed by the end of June.

The chairman of the joint operations committee established to deal with the typhoid outbreak, local government MEC Jabu Mahlangu has urged the municipality to urgently relocate more than 2 000 families from Mandela village.

The village is on a dolomite area and has more than 350 families living on the floodline.

The department said land had been allocated for this and was being developed.

- SAPA