Still a waterless pipe dream

IT’S coming up to four years of drought and water restrictions for Greytown.

For months the myth of the Craigieburn pipeline has generated refreshing thoughts of water cascading out of taps. Millions and millions of rands have been spent on this Craigieburn fairy tale.

uMzinyathi District Municipality, in charge of this project, last year obtained a High Court interdict to stop the Craigieburn community protest and threats and link up the pipeline to the dam and to Greytown water treatment works.

But who cares? uMzinyathi District Municipality have not enforced this interdict (which did not come cheaply) and the project is still floating in the realms of make believe while the water restrictions seem to be a permanent and uncomfortable fixture of daily life in Greytown.

Although no water is forthcoming, uMzinyathi has budgeted around about R50 million for the extension of the water works and R20 million for mechanical works extensions.

Lake Merthley is going down each week — on Monday it stood at 60.65% — surely its Greytown's turn to get those much needed Spring rains?