Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo, has raised concerns over delays in the completion of the R220 million upgrade of the Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).
Seitlholo raised concerns during an oversight visit to the facility in the Midvaal Local Municipality, within the Sedibeng District Municipality, as part of ongoing efforts to address sanitation challenges.
Tuesday's visit aimed to assess progress on the upgrade and expansion of the project, which resumed in 2017, and to engage with key stakeholders.
He was accompanied by Sipho Mosai, Chief Executive Officer of Rand Water, as well as Midvaal Executive Mayor Peter Teixeira, Sedibeng Executive Mayor Lerato Maloka, and Desmond Fransman, Chairperson of the Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency.
Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Works project was funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation through its Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant. With Rand Water appointed as the implementing agent, the project is intended to improve sanitation services and ensure that the effluent treated at the plant meets the required standards.
Two phases of the project have been completed, while the third phase, which will expand the plant’s capacity from yielding 10 megalitres per day (ml/d) to 25 ml/d is still underway.
Seitlholo expressed concern over the delays, warning that ongoing failures in wastewater management will threaten the municipality’s water resources, locally and nationally. Rand Water has, however, committed to completing the project within the current financial year.
Project delays have been attributed to contractor cash flow constraints, payment challenges, and persistent rainfall, which disrupted construction. Rand Water said it has since implemented recovery measures, including resolving payment issues, re-engaging subcontractors and accelerating construction to recover lost time.
The utility added that sanitation challenges are not only limited to Midvaal but also affect the broader Sedibeng District.
Beyond the delays, Seitlholo emphasised the need to protect water resources as a component of the water value chain.
“If we do not take care of the value chain, how are we going to secure the quality at the end of it? How are we going to give people clean drinking water?” the Deputy Minister said.
He stressed that safeguarding rivers, tributaries and dams from pollution is essential to ensuring a safe water supply, warning that the discharge of untreated sewage continues to threaten water quality.
“I am concerned about the beginning of water value chain and this has propelled me to engage with stakeholders in the country on how to fundamentally get to a point where our water resources, tributaries, rivers, and dams are not being infiltrated by millions of litres of raw sewerage every day,” said the Deputy Minister, underscoring his commitment to the protection of water resources.
Seitlholo added that the improvement of the water value chain at the infrastructure level, with a completed upgrade of Meyerton WWTW will significantly improve sanitation services for communities, including Rothdene, Meyerton, Rustervaal, Sicelo Shiceka informal settlement and the surrounding industries.
The Department of Water and Sanitation maintains that the oversight visits are essential to hold implementing agents accountable, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure that infrastructure projects deliver tangible benefits to communities without further delay. – SAnews.gov.za
