Phoenix councillor Samier Singh has successfully garnered council approval for the construction of boreholes at eight local schools.
Singh is the first eThekwini councillor to have secured funding for the much needed resource in the community where water cuts have become a daily occurrence.
The initiative, part of his Constituency Infrastructure Project (CIP) for 2024/2025, aims to ensure a reliable water supply for pupils and the surrounding community.
The schools set to benefit from this project include Phoenix Heights Primary, Lenham Primary, Crystal Point Secondary, Westham Secondary, Northmead Secondary, Earlingham primary, Whetstone Primary and Esselen Heights Primary School.
The project, which carries a budget of over R3.3 million, will be overseen by the eThekwini Water and Sanitation team.
Singh said the reason he proposed the boreholes was because he wanted to a lasting investment for ward 52.
"We are always having water issues especially when we are feeding from Phoenix reservoir 4. With the boreholes the schools will always have water and we will have community taps outside the school fence so that residents will also have access to water when there are water challenges in the area.
"This is a first for eThekwini, especially coming for a CIP. We are very pleased that this is going to happen. This is an investment for our community and our children to ensure that when there are water challenges the children will not have to leave school early," said Singh.
This initiative marks a historic move for the eThekwini council, as it is the first time CIP funds have been allocated specifically for borehole construction.
Gugu Sisilana, spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, confirmed the uniqueness of this approach, stating that it allows for the installation of additional boreholes to meet the overwhelming water demand in the area.
"This approach allows for more boreholes to be constructed within the ward to meet the huge demand, mitigate the water crisis, and assist the municipality in installing additional boreholes," said Sisilana.
She said the cost varies from site to site due to differences in drilling depths and purification systems, which depend on the quality and composition of raw water at each location.
"Additionally, as a municipality, we have a responsibility to ensure that we provide safe, high quality drinking water that meets the SANS 241 drinking water standards. Therefore, treatment and purification are of utmost importance in this project," said Sisilana.
Sagie Moodley, Phoenix central circuit manager, praised Singh, saying it was brave of him to put the community first.
"When there are water outages lasting three to four days, the water reserves at schools are depleted. This forces schools to close, disrupting teaching and learning. This was a serious problem last year.
"This project will also help the surrounding community with water," said Moodley.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE