New Head of Public Water
Letlakana Sebata is the new Head of Public Water, reporting to Bernette Sekati, Sales Executive: Public Water. Letlakana’s public water experience was entrenched at Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT) and Johannesburg Water. At ERWAT he was a Project Manager, responsible for new business. He also participated in bid committees and qualified in the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA).
At Johannesburg Water, Letlakana managed the Innovation and Technology Department, where he approved the Innovation strategy and focused on collaboration with ecosystem partners like the Department of Science and Innovation, WRC, CSIR, SALGA, Rand Water, the Innovation Hub and Sci-Bono as well as other government departments, municipalities, universities and utility providers to improve efficiency and effectiveness through technology. He also participated in the City’s committees dealing with, among others, green building policy development, climate change, alternative water and energy sources, smart cities and sanitation policy.
One recent project in the Public Water space was for the eThekwini Municipality, upgrading a 1,5 Mℓ/day potable water plant for the Mkhizwana community in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. According to the tender documentation, the upgrade was necessary due to increasing water demand in the areas supplied and entailed a 2,7 Mℓ/day increase from the treatment capacity of 1,3 Mℓ/day. The upgrade of the water treatment works was the first step towards uplifting the community, where the majority of people have no formal employment. Governmental social grants, pensions and informal trading are their only income.
The project has improved the quality and quantity of potable water available while reducing the water losses previously experienced. Short-term benefits included temporary employment for local labour and long-term benefits include the potential to expand the availability of formal housing as a result of better infrastructure.