Garden Route Municipalities gets R140 Million

The government's long-awaited roll out of R140 million in the drought-relief funding to the Garden Route municipalities started. Eden District Municipality disaster management head Gerhard Otto said on Monday that the money will be spend on desalination and waste water recycling pants planned for towns along the Garden Route. The relief funding roll out will be completed by May or June. At capacity the Sedgefield osmosis plant can produce 1.5 million litres of water per day. This plant is the biggest desalination unit in South Africa but a bigger plant is planned for George. George has achieved to save 42 percent water while other town is on 38 percent.

Gerhard Otto said that normal rainfall was predicted for April. Normally this area does not receive much rain this time of the year. The drought started 18 months ago and is expected to continue.

George municipality awareness spokes person campaign coordinator Dianne McGowan said the pipes has been laid for the town's waste water recycling plant, which will be operational by mid June. McGowan also said the Garden Route dam levels are at 23,8 percent full the town having done well in lowering consumption.