City of Tshwane announces plans to build its own water system

The City of Tshwane plans to build capacity to produce its own potable water and build new water plants across the city in the next five years.

Hammanskraal water unconsumable

Meanwhile, the water in Hammanskraal water is still unconsumable.

City’s plans announced

Tshwane mayor Randall Williams announced the city’s plan after conducting a water security oversight visit at Rietvlei water treatment plant last week with MMC for utilities and regional operations councillor Daryl Johnston.

Johnston also visited the Rooiwal waste water treatment works last week.

“Rooiwal plays a critical role in the city’s water system. It processes over 40% of the city’s waste water.

“This is more than the plant was designed to handle, which leads to the plant underperforming in treating waste water before it goes back into the Apies River,” he said.

“Along with the critical capacity challenges, Rooiwal waste water treatment works is linked to the Apies River, which supplies raw water to Temba water treatment plant in Hammanskraal that is meant to supply drinkable water to the community and other parts of Tshwane,” he added.

Phase 2 will cost over R2 billion

“Work needs to be done to complete Phase 1 of the upgrades. We also need to accelerate efforts to source funding of over R2 billion for Phase 2 of the project,” he said.

Triple P non-profit organisation founder Ntswaki Ditlhale focused on the water problem in Hammanskraal and said when they visited the area earlier this year, the water was in a bad state.

Tap water has a stench, turns yellow and foams when boiled

“People still don’t drink water from those taps and those that do will tell you about the bad odour of the water and how it turns yellow or when you boil it it foams,” she said.

Ditlhale said there was a typhoid fever outbreak during the visit to Hammanskraal – a disease that typically comes from contaminated water.

Ditlhale’s team was looking into installing purification systems at the schools affected by the contaminated water.

Hennops Revival founder Tarryn Johnston said building up the city’s water capacity would be costly and asked where the city would get the money.

ALSO READ: Hammanskraal’s water is safe, Tshwane mayor says, but doubts remain