Ugl Seo
It was recently announced the Department of Water and Sanitation will upgrade 26 non-functional water treatment plants in Gauteng and the Free State. This upgrade will be done with more than R300 million that has been set aside due to fears of untreated sewage flowing into the Vaal River.
One of the main culprits of polluting the Vaal River is the Refengkgotso Waste Water Treatment Plant, located in Deneysville. After being audited in 2015, a preliminary report noted that the plant, which was designed to treat 2.0 mega litres per day, was exceeding that limit by over 150 percent by the end of the year.
The Vaal River is an important resource to South Africa, as it provides 60 percent of water to Gauteng and 40 percent of water to the country as a whole.
Acting Chief Executive Officer for Vaal Catchment Management Agency, Dr Khononani Khorombi, noted they met with representatives from 18 local governments to discuss the pollution issue plaguing the river. It was discovered it was the waste water treatment plants. In response, R320 million was set aside to curb the issue, which is expected to be completed by December.
Mfanukhona Hlatshwayo, Director of Internal Control, announced that moving forward, to prevent this issue from appearing again, “the department would train technicians in the municipalities with a view to transfer skills to local governments to ensure proper management of treatment plants, after the completion of the project.”
