Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
INFORMATION DOCUMENT
BIZANA DISTRICT RURAL WATER SCHEME
The Bizana District Rural Water Scheme, dedicated to the late Oliver Tambo, is one of the largest of 58 schemes included in the Presidential Lead Water Project started in the Transkei in 1994. It will benefit between 14 000 in 1996 and 19 000 people in the year 2010. It was completed at a total cost of R5 600 000.
The scheme is a community based project where labour intensive construction methods were used. All work done on the pipelines and reservoirs was done using village labour. Close to 2 000 people were employed and training provided to 169 trainees in various disciplines accredited with the Department of Labour. They were all issued with certificates.
The scheme consists of an earthfill dam with a height of 15m and full supply capacity of approximately 110 000 cubic metres. To construct the dam soils and clay from the site were used. The dam is situated in the Bizana Commonage. A gravity system from the dam through a water network supplies the reservoir at each village. Two springs from adjacent villages augment the water supply of the dam. From the concrete reservoir in each village a supply network has been developed. There are 116 standpipes. The estimated water demand will increase from approximately 124 000 cubic metres of water in 1996 to 177 000 cubic metres of water per annum in 2010.
The villages that will particularly benefit are Ntshamati, Khayamnandi, eMonti, Ntsingizi, Ntozelo and Redoubt.
The Bizana Water Board will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the scheme. Payment for service is accepted by the Committees on the RDP principles.