By Nangamso Mabindla
23 March 2005

CELEBRATING National Water Week in style, Buffalo City Municipality will receive the R6-million Peelton Basic Water Supply Scheme from the provincial department of water affairs on Wednesday, March 23 at the Peelton Community Hall near Bhisho.

Darby Gounden, the City's communications manager, said the long-awaited basic water supply scheme, which serves as a borehole and 300-kilolitre reservoir, serviced villages in the Amahlathi Local Municipality (Stutterheim, Cathcart, Kei Road, Keiskammahoek) and Buffalo City Municipality.

According to Gounden both municipalities would operate and maintain the asset in their respective areas. The scheme would be able to supply 25 litres of water, per capacity, per day, to about 6 000 people.

"Local communities will now have tap stands which are within 200m of their households. Village Water Committees have been established to deal with organisational and management issues in the communities."

The villages that would benefit from the water scheme included Kwa-Train, Nompumelelo, Mdange, Sixekweni, Majah, Drayini and Nkqonkqweni. The scheme, which started in January 2001, also provided employment for at least 1 000 local people.

"Buffalo City Municipality in its capacity as the Water Service Authority responsible for water and sanitation in the area, sees this project as an achievement for all stakeholders, but more especially for the local community, which now has access to basic water services," said Gounden.