Olebogeng Naledi Manhe, CEO
With Covid-19 spreading across the globe, certain developmental projects needed to be adapted, notes infrastructure and development company V3 Consulting Engineers.
The company was appointed by Sedibeng Water as the project management unit for an emergency drought relief project in various district and local municipalities in the Northern Cape. The project is funded by the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation.
The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a ramp up in water supply to critical areas in the province, specifically because hand washing is one of the preventative measures to avoid contracting the virus. This led to V3 Consulting Engineers accelerating water supply, with the ramp done in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sedibeng Water, Rand Water, Public Works and Human Settlement reporting to the National Water and Sanitation Command Centre.
The initial scope entailed the refurbishment of existing water infrastructure – including water treatment works, boreholes and pipelines – the drilling and equipping of boreholes, source development of boreholes, domestic and stock watering, design and implementation of new infrastructure and immediate supply of water through water tankers in the various drought affected Local Municipalities in the Northern Cape, the project has since been adapted owing to the nationwide lockdown.
Although the initial project was meant to start in February 2020 and was planned to take place over 12 months with a large portion of the project being completed between June and September, V3 Consulting Engineers’ team is on the ground ensuring that communities are supplied with water through emergency efforts and that service providers are mobilised to provide sustainable solutions.
V3 Consulting Engineers notes that its operational and administration staff have exerted significant effort to ensure that this project is operational throughout the Northern Cape during this worldwide pandemic. It cites the daily meetings to unblock challenges on the project, as an example of its commitment to ensuring the project’s success.