MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADM CONCLUDES ITS TWO DAY WATER INDABA
ADM HEADQUARTERS, FRIDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2023
In its quest for innovative and tangible solutions in carrying its mandate, Amathole District Municipality’s (ADM) two-day Water Indaba saw various stakeholders in the water industry gather in East London to share their expert ideas on how the institution could become the once productive district it used to be and beyond.
Among the issues discussed were the culture of non-payment of services rendered by the district’s consumers which impacts directly in the municipality’s operations and maintenance of its already aging water infrastructure. With a population base of 871 601 (714 712 rural and 156 889 urban), 250 229 are without water services while 10 263 are without sanitation and owing to growing population and changes in water usage patterns, many schemes are not designed to meet the demand and water outages are common.
As a water service authority and provider, ADM is mandated to ensure that it is able to provide sustainable, safe water and waste water services under the Blue and Green Drop legislation. This according to Department of Water and Sanitation Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement Acting Director Nivelle Lawry is an area wherein the district can still do better in.“ADM can improve its performance, one of the ways is by making sure that councillors and senior management approve and commit to requirements listed as essential for effective and efficient water service delivery” – he said.
While the blue drop looks into the quality of water in the taps, the green deals with the quality of wastewater to the rivers
Explaining further on the green drop, DWS Regulation, Compliance Enforcement Directorate Scientist Siphumle Mkwakwi said the importance of waste water management minimizes the outbreak of diseases like cholera and how “ADM can improve with process controller registration, well-staffed internal maintenance team”.
Outlining the resolutions, Municipal Manager Dr. Bhekisisa Mthembu said the institution has “to increase revenue collection streams” which he said would also have positive “effect to the billing system”.
Mthembu mapped a future of “integrated political directives to budget provisions” adding that going forward the district will ensure “an integrated and responsive staff establishment that is fit for purpose". This, he said, would go hand in glove with a “conducive organizational culture for high impact results”.
In his closing remarks ADM Executive Mayor Anele Ntsangani advocated for a fast and effective delivery of service to the district’s communities. He said this would be made possible by ensuring that Blue and Green Drops reports are “brought to council on quarterly basis for consistent updates to improve and (where needed) remedy the state of ADM in these areas”.
“While we have issues we face within our engineering and infrastructure department, not a making of their own, we will consistently monitor the deliverables and assist where possible” – he said
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