The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP), has launched a R116-million water treatment plant in Steytleville, outside Port Elizabeth, to combat water shortages in the area.

The project was supported by the DTI, the Department of Water and Sanitation, and the Baviaans Local Municipality.

The Mayor of Baviaans Local Municipality, Ewald Loock, in a statement on Tuesday said the community and businesses around Steytleville had, for the longest time, endured difficulties in accessing clean and quality water, especially in summer.

“In the past, underground water from the Northern and Southern borehole abstraction schemes was used without any treatment other than adding chlorine,” Loock said.

“The capacity of the new water treatment plant also means that the community and businesses can have access to about 24 litres per second from 8–10 litres and this will be sufficient to meet the water demand of Steytleville for the next 15 years.”

Loock added that the new plant formed part of the overall economic development of the small town as this would bring stability for farmers, small scale businesses and people who were scared to invest or inject money into businesses operating in and around Steytlerville.

The Chief Director for Infrastructure and Investment at the DTI, Justice Ngwenya also said there was a need to assist and intervene after the municipality indicated that they had a shortfall in the funding of the infrastructure.

“Urban agriculture, emerging small farmers, tourism industry and other small businesses are sustained by the bulk water project. The funding from the DTI to Baviaans Municipality for the infrastructure resulted in the project creating an estimated 238 construction jobs in the area,” Ngwenya said.

Ngwenya also said the support was granted for bulk water infrastructure, which involved construction of the water pipeline for the period starting March 2013 until August 2014 for Phase 3 of the overall project.