“There are projects where we can piggyback on tenders from other municipalities and we’re doing that.
“We are piggy-backing on the Cape Town and Stellenbosch municipalities’ current approved tenders.
“So that would strictly be the process undertaken because we don’t have time for new tenders.
“Supply chain regulation does make provision for making use of a valid tender from another municipality,” he said.
The municipality has to spend the money, which forms part of the R178-million bonanza from the national Treasury – grants that other municipalities failed to spend on time.
Among the ways the municipality plans to deal with the crisis is increasing water supply from the Nooitgedacht plant from 140ML to 160ML a day.
Mettler said more boreholes would be drilled across the metro to augment potable water supply.
They were also digging boreholes at the Churchill Dam to increase water supply.
The municipality is also continuing with its water conservation campaign to appeal to households and businesses to drastically cut their water use.
Infrastructure, engineering, electricity and energy portfolio head Masixole Zinto said the 20ML expansion of the Nooitgedacht treatment plant would take about two months.
“The municipality has also recruited 13 additional plumbers and with this additional resource [efforts] to reduce the water leaks are well under way,” he said.