DWS lays out plan to minimise Vaal river pollution

12th March 2021

By: Marleny Arnoldi

Deputy Editor Online

     

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The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has undertaken to expedite a strategic intervention to significantly minimise the impact of raw sewerage seeping into the Vaal river and its tributaries in the southern Gauteng region.

DWS earlier in March appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation to present a progress report on the Integrated Vaal River System intervention.

Of the areas in the southern Gauteng region, the Emfuleni local municipality is the most affected as a result of the pollution in the Vaal river because of failing infrastructure in the municipality.

However, the problem goes beyond Gauteng and affects municipalities in Mpumalanga, the Free State, the North West and the Northern Cape.

DWS acting director-general Deborah Mochotlhi told the committee that the department’s intervention in Emfuleni sought to address concerns about the negative impact on the socioeconomic growth of the Vaal Triangle area.

“The intervention seeks to ensure that the southern Gauteng region has reliable water supply and to ensure improved effluent quality discharged into the Vaal river, resulting in the reduction of cost for the production of potable water,” she explained.  

She continued that other challenges that needed to be focussed on were sewer spillages within communities, rolling out of new housing developments and improving investment and tourism within the Vaal.

The Vaal River Intervention Implementation Plan also deals with securing and safeguarding the water services infrastructure, repairing the bulk water and reticulation network to eliminate the current spillages.

Mochotlhi said the department would refurbish the wastewater treatment works and repair reservoirs, pump stations and rising mains.

Meanwhile, speaking during a question and answer session in the National Assembly on March 11, Deputy President David Mabuza also acknowledged that the situation in Emfuleni has necessitated additional intervention.

“As part of this intervention, the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation will be taking over the functions of the Water Services Authority as stated in Section 63 (2) of the Water Services Act. This means that the Minister will assume the municipal responsibilities for a specific duration, to fix the sanitation challenges as experienced by the people of Emfuleni,” he confirmed.

This process will be in line with the provisions of the Act, which also include in the main a Cabinet memo that is currently being prepared.

Mabuza informed the National Assembly that the intervention for sanitation and water infrastructure work in Emfuleni would be implemented through a R7.6-billion multipronged approach.

“This will be directed at operations and maintenance to be implemented by Rand Water, refurbishment and upgrade of infrastructure to be implemented by the DWS, and sustainability of water and sanitation services through the restructuring of the municipal entity responsible for water and sanitation, as well as the procurement of tools of trade.”

The Ministers of Finance, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation were in continuous engagements, Mabuza said, with the intention to ring-fence financial resources and strengthen government’s response to this sanitation challenge.

An amount of R 1.8-billion has been budgeted in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to address the refurbishment and upgrade of infrastructure. Specifically, the DWS is in the process of appointing several contractors to support the efforts to stop further and continued pollution of the Vaal river.

Mabuza stressed that that the DWS has initiated a process of engaging with sector stakeholders and the entire community of Vaal and Emfuleni to keep the public informed about the progress of the intervention.

 

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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