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Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

UPDATE: WATER SERVICES ESTIMATES TWO HOURS OF REPAIR OF THE WATER PIPE BREAK AT LANGENHOVEN STREET

The water services team is hard at work repairing a broken water pipe in Langenhoven Street in the George CBD vicinity. The estimated time of repair is approximately two hours from the time of publishing this post.

Earlier today, the water services team reported that they have found the location and the cause of the water pipe break that caused water outages in parts of the George CBD. The information available at this stage suggests that the pipe break was caused by a private fibre contractor currently installing fibre in George. Discussions between the Municipality and the private fibre contractor to address the pipe burst and to avoid similar incidents taking place in future are underway.

While the water services team continues to repair the pipe, water trucks have been made available to temporarily supply potable water to the affected areas. One truck is stationed at the Post Office, while the other is at the Medi-Clinic.

Affected areas include the George CBD area, areas around the Medi-Clinic, Post Office up to the SARS building and a portion of Langenhoven Street (between York and Herrie Streets).

We will continue to issue updates of any progress made.

Issued by the George Municipality

22 April 2022

12:00

UPDATE: GEORGE CBD PIPE BURST LOCATED AND REPAIR WORK BEGAN

Following concerted work by the water services team to establish the location and the cause of the water pipe break that caused water outages in parts of the George CBD, the information available at this stage suggests that the pipe break was caused by a private fibre contractor currently installing fibre in George. Discussions between the Municipality and the private fibre contractor to address the pipe burst and to avoid similar incidents taking place in future are underway.

The water services team isolated the water line in Langenhoven Street and has already started the water pipe repair process in Langenhoven Street, to speed up the water supply to the affected areas. Meanwhile, water trucks have been made available to temporarily supply potable water to the affected areas. One truck is stationed at the Post Office, while the other is at the Medi-Clinic.

Affected areas include the George CBD area, areas around the Medi-Clinic, Post Office up to the SARS building and a portion of Langenhoven Street (between York and Herrie Streets).

The estimated time of repair cannot be determined this time due to the complexity of the location of the pipe failure. We will continue to issue updates of any progress made.

Issued by the George Municipality

22 April 2022

10:30

PUBLIC NOTICE: WATER PIPE FAILURE AT THE PARTS OF THE GEORGE CBD AND SURROUNDS

There has been a pipe failure in Langenhoven Street since last night. Water services teams have been attending to the situation and are doing their best to isolate the problem.

Affected areas include the George CBD area, areas around the Medi-Clinic, Post Office up to the SARS building and a portion of Langenhoven Street (between York and Herrie Streets).

The estimated time of repair cannot be determined this time due to the complexity of the location of the pipe failure. We will continue to issue updates of any progress made.

A water truck will be placed at the post office in York Street as a temporary water supply measure. The Municipality apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Issued by the George Municipality
22 April 2022
08:35

ESKOM LOADSHEDDING UPDATE, 21 APRIL 2022

Loadshedding will be reduced to Stage 2 at 22:00, and remain in force until Friday evening

George will be affected as follows:

Thursday 21/04/2022

NONE

 

Friday 22/04/2022

12:00 to 14:30

20:00 to 22:30

 

Uniondale will be affected as follows:

Thursday 21/04/2022

15:00 to 17:30

 

Friday 22/04/2022

15:00 to 17:30

23:00 to 01:30

ESKOM LOAD SHEDDING UPDATE, 20 APRIL 2022

Eskom has downgraded load shedding to stage 3 as at 22:00 tonight.

 

George will be affected as follows:

Wednesday 20/04/2022

14:00 to 16:30

22:00 to 00:30

 

Thursday 21/04/2022

04:00 to 06:30

12:00 to 14:30

 

Friday 22/04/2022

04:00 to 05:00

 

Uniondale will be affected as follows:

Wednesday 20/04/2022

17:00 to 19:30

 

Thursday 21/04/2022

07:00 to 09:30

15:00 to 17:30

 

Friday 22/04/2022

None

 

CONSTRUCTION ONGOING TO STABILISE AND REHABILITATE SCHAAPKOP DONGA

There is currently construction taking place at Schaapkop Pump Station to stabilise and rehabilitate the slope on the riverbank to protect the pump station from an encroaching donga and create a safe working space for the pump station contractor to establish on-site.

The source of funding for this construction is the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) funding and the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) project.

The embankment contains several pipelines including the rising main (pumping line) from the pump station. The pipeline needs to be replaced by a larger diameter pipeline in Phase 2 of the pump station upgrading and therefore provision must be made in the currently installed infrastructure for the new pipeline to prevent demolition/ excavation into the gabions for the new pipeline.

Gabions are being installed as a retaining wall to retain the earthworks slope and the wire needs to be protected against vandalism and theft, so a concrete capping was specified to prevent access to the wires. The contractor has subsequently introduced the use of gunite (spray-on concrete) instead of conventional concrete due to the ease and speed of construction to save time.

Ends.

UNEXPECTED WATER SUPPLY INTERRUPTION IN PARTS OF THEMBALETHU

A 110mm diameter water pipe was damaged by a contractor at the corner of Piterson and Bob Streets in Thembalethu. The Water section has turned the water supply off, which means this area will experience water supply interruption. The expected repair time is approximately an hour from the time of the release of this notice.

Issued by George Municipality

19 April 2022

11:20

ACCIDENT ON THE N2, GWAING BRIDGE

Motor vehicle accidents N2 Gwaing bridge direction George. Vehicle overturned. All services on scene. One lane closed. Motorists urged to drive cautiously.

Issued George Mun
19 April 2022, 08:07

Eskom Loadshedding stage 4

Regretfully, Eskom has just been forced to implement Stage 4 loadshedding at 07:20 following Majuba Unit 5 and Tutuka Unit 4 tripping. A full statement will be published in due course.

Stage 4 to be implemented until further notice.

George will be affected as follows:

Tuesday 19/04/2022
14:00 to 16:30
22:00 to 00:30

Wednesday 20/04/2022
06:00 to 08:30
14:00 to 16:30
22:00 to 00:30

Thursday 21/04/2022
04:00 to 06:30
12:00 to 14:30
20:00 to 22:30

Friday 22/04/2022
04:00 to 06:30
12:00 to 14:30
20:00 to 22:30

Uniondale will be affected as follows:

Tuesday 19/04/2022
09:00 to 11:30
17:00 to 19:30

Wednesday 20/04/2022
01:00 to 03:30
09:00 to 11:30
17:00 to 19:30

Thursday 21/04/2022
07:00 to 09:30
15:00 to 17:30
23:00 to 01:30

Friday 22/04/2022
07:00 to 09:30
15:00 to 17:30
23:00 to 01:30

Issued by George Mun
19/4/2022 at 08:30

TEMPORARY WATER OUTAGES From 19 to 22 April 2022

Issued by George Municipality 18 April 2022

George Municipality is busy replacing equipment on the bulk water lines this week. These areas therefore will experience water interruptions as follows:

  • Tuesday 19/04/2022: Wilderness WW inflow, Wilderness WW Ebbs & Flow, Wilderness WW Touwranten
  • Wednesday 20/04/2022: Rooirivierrif, Herolds Bay (Gwaing)
  • Thursday 21/04/2022: Pacaltsdorp 2, Lawaaikamp
  • Friday 22/04/2022: Herolds Bay

Residents will experience water outages from approximately 11:00. This will not take longer than 2 hours. We apologise for the inconvenience.

For any queries or problems contact the Civil Engineering Services on 044 801 9262/6 (7:45 am – 4:30 pm) or 044 801 6300 (after hours).

Reminder: ESKOM Loadshedding, 18 April, 11h35

Loadshedding will regretfully be implemented from 16:00 this afternoon until 05:00 on Wednesday, 20 April, due to additional generation unit losses and delayed return to service of generators:

George will be affected as follows:

Monday 18/04/2022
14:00 to 16:30
22:00 to 00:30

Tuesday 19/04/2022
22:00 to 00:30

Wednesday 20/04/2022
None

Uniondale will be affected as follows:

Monday 18/04/2022
17:00 to 19:30

Tuesday 19/04/2022
01:00 to 03:30

Wednesday
20/04/2022
01:00 to 03:30

Issued George Mun

Mayor’s Newsletter for George Herald of 14 April 2022

During the draft budget that was tabled at the council meeting of 28th March 2022, a new basis for calculating electricity tariffs was introduced.

To date, George has used a per kilowatt-hour charge for domestic use of electricity. All the neighbouring towns have been using a fixed charge and a variable cost for electricity for some years already. George consumers have often compared local tariffs to those levied elsewhere and seemingly not realised the difference.

There is pressure on municipalities to recognise the “Cost of Supply” which relates to the fixed infrastructure component (i.e. substations, transformers, powerlines, underground connections, maintenance of the network, etc.) and how to ensure these costs are recouped annually. George’s network has a replacement cost of over R2 billion.

The fixed cost component should therefore be shared by the consumers according to the level of usage availability that each consumer requires. An increasing threat faced by municipalities in their distribution is that of business and domestic users who are making use of renewable sources of electricity. It is now imperative that George introduces fixed and variable charges to secure the annual operational costs of the network and then to charge the user for the actual electricity delivered to the premises.

In introducing the new basis of charges, the municipality is looking at ways of reducing the maximum available load capacity (ampere) that ESKOM charges George to supply electricity, which is levied at this peak charge rate. At present all domestic users are notionally rated at 60-amp usage. From 1st July 2022, this maximum will be reduced to 40 amps. Most households in George only require 20 amps. The new fixed rate tariff will be based on 40 amps. Consumers who need less or more than 40 amps, can apply for adjustments between 20 and 60 amps, which will also result in a monthly tariff adjustment (our house has a trip switch set at 35 amps).

The benefit of reducing households’ share of the peak off-take from ESKOM is likely to decrease the cost of bulk purchases of electricity. This reduction will also assist when calculations are made to avoid Stage 1 of load-shedding.

The envisaged charges will be implemented over 2 – 3 years to phase in the charges that have been designed to be revenue neutral. All indigents and other domestic users using up to 400 kilowatt hours per month will continue to pay a per kilowatt hour charge as at present.

Households and businesses using more than 400 kilowatt hours will migrate to a fixed monthly charge of R75 per month plus a per ampere charge of R4.54 (R181.60 for 40 amps). Costs per kWh for domestic users will amount to R210.04 cents per kWh. These amounts exclude VAT.

 

PUBLIC NOTICE: REFUSE COLLECTION FOR EASTER WEEKEND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 15 & 18 APRIL 2022

PUBLIC NOTICE: REFUSE COLLECTION FOR EASTER WEEKEND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 15 & 18 APRIL 2022

Refuse (black, green, and blue bags) will be collected as per the normal schedule on Good Friday, 15 April 2022 and on Family Day, 18 April 2022.

Businesses ARE REQUESTED TO PLEASE ONLY put REFUSE BAGS OUT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays AND only at designated spots, not on the sidewalk.

REFUSE REMOVAL: GENERAL

All refuse bags; black, green, and blue, must be put out by 07:00 am on the removal day ONLY.
Only 4 green bags are allowed, and unlimited blue bags.

All black bags will be collected on the Public Holidays (15 & 18 April 2022) and can also be substituted or combined with bundles of branches/ garden waste. Bundles must not be too big for one person to pick up OR more than 1m in length.

Broken glass should be wrapped in a newspaper when thrown into bags to prevent injuries to workers. Bulky waste must be disposed of at the Gwaiing Landfill Site on R102. The Gwaiing landfill site will be open Monday to Friday from 7:00 until 19:00, Saturdays and Public Holidays from 7:00 until 15:00 (except Christmas Day).

CONTACT
George Municipality Environmental Services
82 Meade Street, George. Phone 044 802 2900
Black bag-related enquiries: 044 802 2900
Blue and green bag enquiries: LGE Waste, 044 878 0688/ lgewaste@gmail.com

 

R 2.5 MILLION WORTH OF MAINTENANCE TO EXTEND THE PROTEA TRANSFORMER’S LIFE SPAN UP TO 40 YEARS

Issued by George Municipality on 12 April 2022

The Protea Transformer that feeds power to Pacaltsdorp, Hansmoeskraal and Syferfontein had undergone R2.5 million worth of maintenance in the 2021/2022 financial year.

According to the director of the George Municipality’s Electrotechnical Department, Mr Bongani Mandla, a transformer is the most critical component within the electricity distribution network, its function is to increase the voltage, also known as stepping up the voltage, or they can decrease the voltage also known as stepping down the voltage.

Mandla confirmed that maintenance was necessary for this transformer as one of its components is rusting.  “The trigger for this maintenance, which is funded from George Municipality’s capital budget and loans, was excessive corrosion on the main tank,” he said.  “The Unit was sent to an external service provider and upon intrusive inspection, it was detected that the active components and accessories needed to be refurbished or replaced.”

The average lifespan is approximately 30-50 years dependent on application, loading and environmental conditions. The average lead time for a new power transformer is nine to fifteen months. This refurbishment project will extend the usable life of this transformer by approximately 30-40 years.

The Portfolio Councillor of the Electrotechnical Services directorate Cllr Nosicelo Mbete visited the site as part of her series of visits to Electrotechnical Service capital projects. During her visit, Cllr Mbete commended the department for prioritising the installation and commissioning of this transformer, as it will help improve the reliability of supply to the Pacaltsdorp, Hansmoeskraal and Syferfontein areas.

The 10 MVA Protea Transformer has been successfully commissioned.

Ends.

CAPTION:

Electrotechnical management: Planning, Engineering Services and Distribution

Photo 1: (FLTR) Cllr Nosicelo Mbete (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services), Mr Thembani Mzekeli (Testing and Protection Manager), Mr David Mckenzie (Specialised Electrician), Mr John Cornelius (Chief Engineering Technician), Mr Cuan Edick (Senior Superintendent: Sub-station)

 

Photo 2: (FLTR) Mr Bongani Mandla (Director for Electrotechnical Services), Mr David Mckenzie (Specialised Electrician), Cllr Nosicelo Mbete (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services), Mr John Cornelius (Chief Engineering Technician), Mr Cuan Edick (Senior Superintendent- Sub-station).

PUBLIC NOTICE: CONSTRUCTION WORKS AT THE GWAING WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

The George Municipality is busy with construction at the Gwaing landfill site as part of its rehabilitation plan.

Please note the construction period below:

  • The duration of the construction commences on 4 April 2022 and finishes on 6 May 2022.
  •  Platform excavations and preparations will commence from 4 April to 20 April.
  •  The Dynamic Compaction (DC) and auger drilling will follow from 20 April to 6 May 2022.

Dynamic Compaction is a ground improvement technique used to increase the density of the soil when certain subsurface constraints make other methods inappropriate. It is a method that is used to increase the density of loose, granular, and mixed soils and fills.

The process involves dropping a heavyweight repeatedly on the ground in a pre-determined grid pattern at regularly spaced intervals. The weight and the height determine the amount of compaction that would occur. The weight that is used, depends on the degree of compaction desired and is between 8 tonnes to 36 tonnes. The height varies from 1m to 30m.

No person will be allowed on the southern side of the landfill site where the dynamic compaction will be done (20 April – 6 May 2022). The public may continue to dispose of authorised waste in the northern section.

A security guard will subsequently be placed at the entrance to the DC trial test area to ensure all unauthorised persons are directed away from the trial test area. Therefore, no waste pickers or any public persons will be allowed access to the southern section of the landfill.

The restricted area has been illustrated with a red mark in the attached picture.

 Issued by George Municipality 11 April 2022

 

TEMPORARY WATER OUTAGES From 11 to 14 April 2022

Issued by George Municipality 11 April, 10:00

George Municipality is busy replacing equipment on the bulk water lines this week in CTM2, Kraaibosch, Blanco 1 (Reservoir), Blanco 2 (Golden Valley), Blanco 4 (Die Rus), Herolds Bay (Gwaing), Rosedale/Erf325 and Rooirivierrif.

These areas therefore will experience water interruptions as follows:

  • Monday 11/04/2022: CTM2 & Kraaibosch
  • Tuesday 12/04/2022 Blanco 1 (Reservoir) & Blanco 2 (Golden Valley)
  • Wednesday 13/04/2022: Blanco 4 (Die Rus) & Herolds Bay (Gwaing)
  • Thursday 14/04/2022 Rosedale/Erf 325 & Rooirivierrif

Residents will experience water outages from approximately 11:00. This will not take longer than 2 hours. We apologise for the inconvenience.

For any queries or problems contact the Civil Engineering Services on 044 801 9262/6 (7:45 am – 4:30 pm) or 044 801 6300 (after hours).