Consulting engineering firm Gibb has been contracted to upgrade the bulk sewer infrastructure of the Joe Gqabi district municipality, in Maclear, in the Eastern Cape.
Gibb was appointed for phases 1 and 2 of the project, which involved the collector sewer from Greenfields and the first phase of the construction of the Maclear Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).
The third phase is scheduled to start in June this year.
“The upgrade to the town’s sewerage infrastructure will see it complying with the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWAS’s) Green Drop standards for discharge-quality effluent, preventing pollution of the nearby Mooi river, meeting existing and projected demand, and assisting with the elimination of bucket sanitation,” explains Gibb project leader Victor de Wet.
He states that the third phase includes the closing down and rehabilitation of the old sewerage ponds.
“We applied all the latest design and system technologies at Maclear, taking cognisance of the availability of equipment and expertise in the area and the services available from suppliers. In addition, Gibb provided operational and maintenance guidance, and was responsible for the setting up of the process as well as the training of operators for the Maclear WWTW and for plants in the area,” says de Wet.
He points out that Phase 3 comprises completing and extending the capacity of the existing WWTW from 700 kℓ/d to its full capacity of 1 400 kℓ/d, which involves construction of a second reactor and secondary settling tank, a chlorine contact tank and related mechanical and electrical work.
The proposed new bulk sewerage pumpstation (Maclear Town Pumpstation) will receive the entire town’s wastewater as well as waste from the upgraded Fourie street reticulation.