As the custodian of South Africa’s water resources, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is responsible for the effective management of the nation’s water resources to meet the needs of the current and future generations. As South Africa is a water scarce country, it is of utmost importance that our water resources are well looked after so as to prevent the pollution of our limited water.
In discharging its oversight functions, the department encountered high levels of sewer pollution which negatively impacted on water quality in our water resources. Upon further investigations, it was discovered that the pollution came mostly from dysfunctional municipal waste water treatment plants. Waste water treatment works in most municipalities are in a state of decay due to poor maintenance. The situation is also compounded by the fact that communities are growing but the infrastructure is still the same, which leads to overloading, leading to the spillages we experience. Most plants are operating above their design capacity.
In preventing the further pollution of our water resources, the DWS is intervening in the municipalities mostly affected by sewer spillages through the funding of the refurbishments of the waste water treatment works. Waste water treatment works need to be operating optimally to ensure that treated effluent of acceptable standards is discharged into the water resources.
Some of the municipalities benefitting through the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme (ACIP) in the Mpumalanga Province include Emakhazeni and Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme local municipalities. Refurbishment projects are currently underway in Waterval Boven, Machadodorp and Belfast in Emakhazeni Local Municipality and in Amersfort in the Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality to ensure that the plants are compliant.
The department is also gravely concerned with the poor performance of most municipalities in terms of the Green Drop report, which is one of the main reasons for the interventions into the municipalities that negatively affect the water quality in the sources such as rivers, streams and dams.
We all need to work together as responsible citizens and government to ensure that our waste water treatment works are in good condition and prevent unnecessary sewerage spillages that pollute our water resources. Residents are urged to prevent contributing to the spillages by not throwing foreign objects into the systems, the sewers especially. These can block the sewer systems. The community members must also immediately report blockages and spillages in their areas.
For more information contact:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
For further enquiries:
Themba Khoza
Cell: 082 600 5666
