The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Witzenberg local municipality on November 5 turned the first sod at the R48-million Tulbagh bulk water supply project, in the Western Cape.
The municipality experienced serious water problems during the 2004/5 drought period, specifically in the town of Tulbagh.
An investigation was conducted in 2008 which quantified all available water resources - surface and ground water. The investigation found that there were major inadequacies around the available water resources in Tulbagh, Wolseley and the Prince Alfred hamlet.
To augment water supply, the DWS is co-funding the construction of the Tulbagh bulk water supply project. It has supplied R43-million for the project through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, with the Witzenberg municipality providing R5-million in funding.
The project is expected to be completed by July 2022 and will provide an additional 450-million cubic litres of water for the region.