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GEORGE MUNICIPALITY INSTALLS GENERATORS TO PROTECT ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST LOADSHEDDING

Photo 1: From left: Jannie Koegelenberg (Director of Civil Engineering Services), Councillor Jacqulique Von Brandis (Portfolio Councillor: Civil Engineering Services: Capital Projects & BFI), Councillor Browen Johnson (Portfolio Councillor Civil Engineering Services: Operating Aspects), and Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George).

While Eskom’s loadshedding continues in South Africa, the George Municipality intensifies its efforts to protect Municipal facilities through the installation of generators at the various pump stations to protect its infrastructure and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services to the citizens, because of loadshedding.

According to the George Municipality’s Civil Engineering Service Department, generators have been installed at 13 municipal facilities. The Executive Mayor, Alderman Leon van Wyk recently visited the Garden Route Dam to witness the two largest generators that the Municipality has installed to date. Mayor van Wyk was accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services Capital Projects & BFI Jacqulique Von Brandis, Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services Operating Aspects Browen Johnson and the director for Civil Engineering Services in the George Municipality Jannie Koegelenberg.

“We are grateful for these two generators, thanks to the Bulk Facility for Infrastructure grant awarded by National Treasury to George Municipality in 2021,” said Mayor van Wyk. “There are two 1250 kVA generators, and we need these two generators to power our pump stations to pump raw water from the dam to our water treatment works when loadshedding or any other power outage occurs. Together these two generators use 500 litres of fuel an hour, being two of a number of generators providing backup energy for essential services.”

Deon de Jager, the Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation in the Civil Engineering Directorate confirmed that the Municipality has secured the services for the installation of generators for a three-year period. “The municipality currently has a three-year tender in place for the supply and installation of standby generators for municipal facilities such as sewer and water pump stations,” he said.

Backup emergency generators were installed at the following sewer pump stations in the last year, funded by the Municipality:
• Central Pumpstation (Wilderness) = 30kva generator
• Fancourt PS = 30kva generator
• Herolds Bay PS = 150kva
• Proefplaas PS (George) = 300kva
• Rooi Rivier (George) = 200kva
• Tamsui PS (George) = 50kva
• Thembalethu PS No.1 = 200kva
• Thembalethu PS No.2 = 60kva
• Touwsranten PS E (Wilderness) = 20kva
• Touwsranten PS A (Wilderness) = 100kva
• Touwsranten PS D (Wilderness) = 60kva
• Serpentine (Wilderness) = 100kva
• Ebb n Flow Sewer Pump Station = 300kva

“An emergency backup generator project is funded through the Emergency Load Shedding Relief Grant, and the scope of works is essentially the provision of backup power to water and sewer treatment facilities to ensure uninterrupted operation during load shedding, therefore, avoiding sewage spills and subsequently preventing pollution to the environment, as well as securing potable water supply. The total project cost is R11 million and will provide four new sewer/water generators benefiting the entire George Municipal Area,” de Jager added.

PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE MAYOR’S VISIT TO THE GARDEN ROUTE DAM WHERE SOME OF THE GENERATORS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED: https://youtu.be/aA2xk_ilkKU