Deputy Minister Water and Sanitation, Mrs Pamela Tshwete Preekstoel Purification Plant, Hermanus, Western Cape
Introduction
Thank you Programme Director
I want to begin by recognising the Deputy Executive Mayor of Overstrand Local Municipality, Alderman Dudley Coetzee and all Members of the Mayoral Committee and Councillors present here.
Secondly, I would also like to note the presence our Regional Director Mr Rashid Khan and the Overstrand Local Municipality Technical Director Mr Stephen Muller. The two gentlemen will give us details on this project.
Very importantly are the contractors of this project. They had demonstrated the best skill ever seen in the area. I would like to salute them for the smooth and seamless transfer of skills without additional costs.
Let me also salute the media houses that are here today and immediately thank all of them for their continued support to our work in the Department.
Lastly I would also like to greet all community stakeholders and government officials present here.
Welcome to the Facility
You are all very much welcomed to this facility, the first full scale bio-filtration plant in the country.
I must say that the Department has been working very hard in the Overberg District Municipality to ensure continued supply of water in this area.
The Department has been working in all the four Local Municipalities. Currently the Department is constructing waste water treatment works in Swellendam, Grabouw and Struisbaai.
Preekstoel Purification Plant
This project commenced on 30 September 2011. Aurecon Consulting Engineers, Inyanga Projects who were the civil contractor and PCI Africa who were the mechanical and electrical engineers were appointed as contractors.
The total cost of the project was 87, 7 million split between the Overstrand Local Municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
R 67, 2 million was contributed by Overstrand Local Municipality.
R 20, 5 million was contributed by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Inyanga Projects from Cape Town is a level 3 contributor in terms of BBEEE code of good practice.
PCI Africa from Gauteng is a level 2 contributor in terms of BBEEE code of good practice.
Aurecon is verified as a level 3 contributor in terms of BBEEE Codes of good practice.
The need for this plant was caused by urban growth which was witnessed through new businesses and more households in the area.
This plant was upgraded to accommodate future development which was restrained by threatened water supply especially when rainfall is below average.
This plant is the first of its kind in South Africa which uses bio filtration to remove high manganese and iron content.
This means ideal conditions are created for specific iron and manganese bacteria to grow in the filter media. In the process of purification, they consume the iron and manganese in the water.
The potential of hydrogen (ph) and the dissolved oxygen content are controlled to create the right conditions for the bacteria.
The specific purpose of this plant is to remove the very high iron and manganese content from the borehole water, before being blended with the treated surface water from the De Bos Dam.
During construction sixty seven (67) locals were employed and this translating to more families with food on the table and general economic development in the town in as far as business is concerned.
The experience of the job seekers who worked during the construction left them with skills which made them attractive to the job markets.
The project is now benefitting eighteen thousand two hundred and thirty one (18 231) households in this municipality.
We are here today to mobilise the community to understand the value of this facility, its benefit to the community and to support our endeavours to provide quality water to all households.
We want communities to protect this facility and not destroy or steal this equipment that makes this facility functional.
The protection of this facility would help in the realisation of the full value of money spent on this project.
We want the people in this area to use water sparingly, not waste water and must report water leaks found at homes, schools and other municipal and government facilities.
We want all water users in this municipality to stop illegal connections and also pay for all what they have consumed.
The community at large must ensure good maintenance of the river source where the municipality draws bulk water for this purification plant.
Thank you very much colleagues for supporting and enriching this media briefing.
Thank you to you our journalists for coming and I hope the communities will learn a lot for your coverage as from today. My expectation is that you should run a series of stories on the capability and functioning of this purification plant.
I thank you.
