The Gqudezi Village in Fort Beaufort has been experiencing water challenges due to the illegal connections to the main pipeline reaching the area and the delay of an appointed Professional Service Provider by Amathole District Municipality for the upgrading the Fort Beaufort Bulk Supply Scheme.
During a previous Presidential visit to Fort Beaufort, the issue of water challenges at Gqudezi village were raised. The project entails the upgrading capacity of the treatment plant, bulk pipelines, building of storage and command reservoirs. The work is estimated to take about 18 – 24 months and is expected to commence by May 2021.
The Department of Water and Sanitation implores communities to desist from the practice of illegal connections because a lot of water is lost and wasted through such, leading to government losing billions of rands in water loss.
In the meantime, the Department of Water and Sanitation has issued water tankers to ADM in order to continue supplying water to the villages including Gqudezi whilst awaiting the PSP appointment to commence with the work. These water tankers bring water to the tanks that are dispatched and placed in a strategic position for the benefit of the community members.