Education department pays R600-m for water provision at schools
The Brown Revolution, to be rolled out at schools, deals with waste in schools so that children can learn in a safe and hygienic environment.
The Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation stated that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is in a state of preparedness to assist the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to have the necessary water supply in all schools.
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Minister Lindiwe Sisulu briefed the media on allegations of corruption levelled at her office, water boards and senior officials this afternoon.
She also provided an update on the provision of water to schools.
She said her department is in the process of working with the DBE for the provision of water to about 3 475 schools identified by the DBE across the country.
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“The Minister of Education has been working on ensuring the necessary requirements to allow children to return to schools are in place.
“The responsibility for the provision of water and to some extent sanitisation lies with us (DWS) as per our agreement with the minister,” said Sisulu.
“The DBE has given DWS R600-million to ensure that there is water in the 3 000 plus schools around the country.”
She said the systems put in place at Rand Water to provide water saw the department collect as many tanks as possible.
“We were not able to mount all the tanks, but with level 4 lockdown we will be able to continue with the installation of tanks.
We are in the process of working with the Department of Basic Education around a total of 3 475 schools. The schools have been identified by the DBE and are spread across the country. pic.twitter.com/8qGF68PODW
— Lindiwe Sisulu (@LindiweSisuluSA) May 13, 2020
“As it stands, many of the tanks have already been placed in schools, but we have compiled a map of schools that still need assistance,” she said.
“The Memorandum of Agreement with the DBE will see us actively working together to ensure water services reach learners.
“Rand Water will facilitate the distribution of water resources.”
She said technological advancements will be introduced at schools as it will be difficult to implement the necessary sanitation infrastructure required for schools to reopen.
“The Brown Revolution will be rolled out at schools.
Also read: Covid-19: Education sector advised on hygiene and clean school environments (Part 2)
“The Brown Revolution looks at sophisticated systems that will deal with waste in schools so that children can learn in a safe and hygienic environment,” Sisulu said.
Brown Revolution is an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The CEO of the Water Research Council, Dhesigen Naidoo, said that certain innovations can become the building blocks for future water security.
“The harvesting tanks at schools are necessary for water security in the long run.
“There are two legs to the work we envision.
“The first is to ensure water supply.
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“The second leg is around sanitation which kicked off last year with the introduction of the SAFE programme which is a school sanitation programme.
“We are also looking at new innovative solutions at schools which will become an example to follow for local communities,” Naidoo said.
“SA is one of the big pilot phases for the Gates Foundation’s sponsored reinvent the toilet programme.
“We are also looking at a non-sewer sanitation solution for schools due to the capital expenditure associated with the installation of sewage systems.
“SA is only the second country in the world that has a national standard for non-sewer sanitation.
“It looks at ensuring a safe sanitation solution for children and the public.
“The other element is to reuse the waste and this can include electrochemical treatment, which is a sophisticated system, or simpler systems like bio-digestion.
“For water provision, we are using tanks to augment water security as a temporary emergency intervention.
“In the medium term we are looking at alternatives like ground water where it is available, fog water harvesting or a composite of different solutions.”
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