Jack Bloom

10 000 RESIDENTS HAVE TO SHARE A FEW OUTSIDE TAPS at the Dan Tloome Mega Project in Randfontein. They haven’t had indoor water for 4 months after a pipe burst. RDP HOUSES SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

DeputyJack visited LONEHILL DAM in Fourways, Johannesburg. Nadeem Abrahams of the Lonehill Residents Association and @cllrdavidfoleyward94 talk about the OXYGEN NANOBUBBLES that are rejuvenating it.

OLD WATER PIPES NEED TO BE REPLACED URGENTLY. Gauteng loses more than R14 billion every year from leaking pipes. See my article on how we can fund massive pipe upgrades from the money that will be saved by stopping water leaks. The high cost of leaking water pipes citizen.co.za/news/opinion/t…

Residents of Tshing Ext 10 in Ventersdorp WALK 800 METRES TO GET WATER. It’s exhausting hauling heavy water cartons every day, but DA Mayoral Candidate @theo_venter has got a local farmer and businesses to sponsor a borehole that will bring them tap water. There is so much goodwill for this type of project!

Three months ago, DeputyJack reported a tap at the Krugersdorp Tax Rank that was LEAKING SINCE SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR. They couldn’t fix it so they just blocked it! I spoke to Richard who complains about other leaks at the taxi rank. It all adds up, why is it so difficult to fix even a small leak?

DeputyJack opened the amazingly innovative litter trap by Willem Snyman of FreshNGO at the Kaalspruit in Olifantsfontein. It catches plastic waste that otherwise flows into the Hennops River and pollutes the Hartbeespoort Dam. We need to stop pollution at source, and this does the job!

More than a year ago I raised the issue of Malvern Clinic in Johannesburg that was without water. Together with Ward Clr Neuren Pietersen, we got these big new tanks. It was raining when I visited, a source of water we need to use as well.

DeputyJack visited the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Ecological Intelligence to see innovative solutions for water conservation, pollution remediation and sustainable agriculture. I saw drip irrigation, closed-loop aquaponic systems and ecotoilets. They make fertiliser out of food waste!

Today is Global Handwashing Day, which aims to increase awareness of how washing hands with soap is an effective way to prevent disease. This year’s theme is “Be a Handwashing Hero”. DeputyJack visited Kido’s Educare Centre in Protea South, Soweto, where Julia Maseko, the principal, teaches kids that CLEAN HANDS SAVE LIVES.

The fly in the bottle buzzes into the glass as it tries to escape, but all it has to do is look up and fly out the top! My new column deals with solving problems by looking at them differently: Solar success shows path to fix water crisis with incentives citizen.co.za/news/opinion/s…

DeputyJack was in Mangaung where criminal charges have been laid against two Wastewater treatment plants that spew sewage into rivers - they are going to be fixed, but security is needed so they don’t get vandalised again!

DeputyJack flew in a helicopter to see the polluted rivers that poison the Hartebeespoort Dam - check out how bad the hyacinth is in this dam which should be a recreational and tourism magnet.

DeputyJack was with officials who laid CRIMINAL CHARGES against Ekurhuleni for discharging pollution into the Rietvlei Dam. The Rietvlei treatment plant used to supply water to Tshwane, but was shut down a year ago because the dam water has too much ammonia. See full story here: bit.ly/3UaMleC

DeputyJack visited the Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Plant, it hasn’t been working for 3 years and spews sewage into the Schoonspruit which flows into the Vaal river. I’m following up on the criminal pollution charges laid in February this year, and what needs to be done to fix it!

I was fascinated to see so many household rain-harvesting systems in rural Eastern Cape. We need to encourage this in the cities as well with tax incentives such as those for household solar which eased our electricity shortage.

DeputyJack is in rural Transkei looking at progress with the Mzimvubu Water Project to create the 7th largest dam in South Africa. Where I’m standing will be completely under water!

Here is my third Mission Report since I became Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. My mission is Clean Water and Dignified Sanitation.   I visited three provinces, learnt a lot about agriculture, got outraged by pollution, and intervened with water problems. These are the highlights of what I’ve done in September: bit.ly/4dKdvQ2