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PUC calls on consumers to save water amid dry season |24 June 2021

PUC calls on consumers to save water amid dry season

(L to r) Ms Payet, Mr Bristol and Mr Dupre during the press conference yesterday (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

In view of the dry season that the country is presently experiencing, the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) is urging members of the public to conserve and use water sparingly over the next three months for which the season is expected to last.

During a press conference held yesterday afternoon, public relations officer of PUC, Brigitte Payet, and principal engineer for water, Franky Dupres, launched an appeal for all consumers to adjust their practices and make minor changes to their routines, so as to avoid water wastage.

Among the steps that consumers can practice to reduce wastage are to keep taps closed when brushing their teeth, reusing water for tasks such as watering plants, as well as to refrain from using treated water for practices such as car washing.

“We just received a prediction from the meteorological office with regard to the water situation for the next three months – June, July and August. What the graph indicates to us is that there is a large possibility of us experiencing normal rainfall for the upcoming three months. If however we do not get normal rainfall, we will not have enough water in our stock, and the places from which we are drawing water directly from the rivers, the flow will reduce drastically. We will not be in a position to have sufficient water,” noted Mr Dupres.

Up until now, PUC has not found it necessary to impose restrictions on water supply, despite the La Gogue dam being out of operation, and due to the fact that it can still extend capacity at its different desalination plants. Whether or not restrictions are to come in future is entirely dependent on the behaviour of consumers, and the tendency with regard to supply and demand for water.

“PUC will continue to monitor the situation, we will continue to conduct surveillance during this dry season, and we will evaluate how to best go about in implementing different measures which will be necessary, in line with its Water Shortage Contingency Plan. Members of the public will be advised as and when necessary, as to the measures that will be implemented, and the measures will range from mild to more stringent or severe measures, in terms of whether there is a need to impose restrictions on water supply,” Ms Payet added.

To prepare for the dry season and possible water shortage, PUC has, and is in the process of implementing different measures to mitigate and reduce any inconvenience to consumers. Among the projects are the installation of barriers and pumps and naturally-occurring sources such as rivers, across different regions. At present, the Anse Boileau source is fully-functional with barriers in place to collect water from slightly higher up in Grand Bois, and is producing around 1000m₃ daily.

According to the director of the Project Management Unit, Michel Bristol, civil works to lay pipes, construct barriers and a basin has been completed at Mare Aux Cochons, although work is underway to establish electricity supply in the area, to power the pump. Additionally, work is also ongoing to do the same at the Anse Major water source, to make the third pump operational.

“This will definitely make a great difference in terms of water supply. The schemes in the past were not intended to contribute towards public demand, so that three schemes collectively, is one of the reasons why even if the La Gogue dam is not in operation currently, is the reason PUC has not found it necessary to impose restrictions on water supply, despite the dry weather,” Mr Bristol noted.

Despite its call to consumers, PUC is also doing its part to reduce water wastage within its own operations and network. One such initiative is reducing non-revenue water, water produced and treated but lost in the PUC network, from 55 percent to 25 percent, in line with the standard of other developed countries.

Furthermore, PUC is striving to tend to breakdowns at the soonest possible, going further to designate a team for patrols and to detect breakdowns that do not surface and through which water is lost. Having embarked on a project to replace non-performing pipes, Mr Bristol noted that work to replace obsolete and old pipes is around 92 percent complete, meaning only 8 percent of pipes are non-performing.

“It is in our long-term capital expenditure plan to get them repaired and replaced, so we can come to a position where we no longer have old pipes in our system. Due to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, our ability to replace these pipes has been delayed. Last year we were not so active and we did not tender out many projects, and this year as well we couldn’t tender projects to continue with the work to replace these pipes,” Mr Bristol added.

In the circumstance that there is water shortage, the entity can increase capacity at the various desalination plants, which accounts for 58 percent of the water supplied on Mahé. The four desalination plants on Mahé, namely at Perseverance, Anse Boileau, Bel Ombre and the main one at Providence are all operational and contribute towards PUC’s water network. Since the La Gogue dam is out of service, PUC found it necessary to increase capacity of the Providence station, as the water from the station is directed to Hermitage to supply surrounding districts, from 11,000m₃ daily, by 4500m₃. With the dam out of operation, PUC is also relying on the Rochon dam to supply consumers in higher areas such as Sans Soucis, Saint Louis and Pascal Village. The Rochon dam stands at 79 percent.

“It really depends on individual responsibility because each person in responsible for ensuring that during these times, we are all helping. It is a collective effort and everyone should be participating, as in the end, the water does not belong to PUC, but to everyone and all consumers make use of water,” Ms Payet concluded.

 

Laura Pillay

 

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