R341 million set aside for Vaal River rehabilitation

Government has set aside R341 million for the rehabilitation of all wastewater treatment infrastructure in the Vaal Triangle and announced a series of new projects for the area.

This follows the signing of the implementation protocol last month by the department of water and sanitation, the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department in Gauteng, Emfuleni local municipality, South African national defence force (SANDF), municipal infrastructure support agent, and the East Rand water care company (ERWAT).

According to the Government News Agency, the projects form part of the Vaal River Rehabilitation Project, which began last year after raw sewage flowed into the river from pump stations in the Emfuleni Municipality on the northern bank of the river, posing environmental and health risks.

Two-hundred-and-fifty youth and community members will also be trained in plumbing, carpentry, brick-laying, paving, and agriculture as part of the project.

Water and Sanitation Minister Gugile Nkwinti said in an address to the community of Sebokeng on Friday: “[The] SANDF will also train 2,000 youth and community members to guard 44 pump stations until the completion of the project, which is projected for March 2020.

“In terms of the Implementation Protocol, my department appointed ERWAT, which is an entity of the Ekurhuleni Metro, as the implementing agent. As a wastewater specialist company, ERWAT will ensure that all wastewater treatment infrastructure is resuscitated to an operational state and that pollution in the Vaal River is stopped.”

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Minister Nkwinti informed the community that Module 6 of the Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Works, a regional bulk sanitation infrastructure, was under construction and projected to be completed by the end of May 2019.

A total of 120,000 households in the southern part of Gauteng will reportedly benefit from module 6 of the project while module 7 is expected to start by July 2019.

Nkwinti went on to also announce the establishment of the Vaal Catchment Management Agency in a bid to protect water resources in the area.

He said the work of the agency would include river monitoring, reporting on pollution incidents and dealing with polluters while also raising awareness on the protection of the water resources and environment.

“The Vaal River Catchment Management Agency will ensure that water is protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable and equitable manner,” the minister said.

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