The Department of Water and Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal met a delegation from the Dutch Government to discuss possible water projects and quality related matters
The Department of Water and Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal (DWS KZN) hosted a Dutch delegation to discuss possible opportunities for collaboration on water quality issues within the Msunduzi Catchment from 02 – 05 September 2019 in Durban.
The objective of the meeting between the Department and the Dutch delegation was also to explore possible collaboration on water projects and developing disaster management plans on water quality issues within the Catchment.
During the week-long visit; the Dutch delegation led by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head Mr. Ashley Starkey, together with officials from the Directorate: Institutional Management, visited the Darville Waste Water Treatment Works in Pietermaritzburg. The visit came in light of the recent spillage that happened at the Duzi River in Willowton last month.
The meeting concluded with a number of proposals from both the Department and the Dutch delegation, which included prioritizing the Msunduzi River catchment as a project site to improve its water quality due to its strategic nature, such as the Duzi Marathon which has a great socio-economic spin-off for the Pietermaritzburg area.
Other proposals included developing water quality surface and water monitoring networks; establishing the status of the sewer reticulation network; developing a sustainable funding model for the Enviro Champs Initiative and creating awareness campaigns through stakeholder engagement.
DWS in KwaZulu-Natal has committed to strengthen such collaborations in order to improve water quality and enhance service delivery to locals in the province.
Enquiries
Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 082 874 2942
