Residents challenge Metsimaholo’s proposed sewage pipeline into Vaal Dam
The Metsimaholo Local Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Jeff Zwane and Municipal Manager (MM), Advocate Mofokeng hosted a meeting for Deneysville residents in the area last Tuesday.
SEDIBENG.- This was to try to gain their support for a new sewer effluent pipeline from the Refenkgkotso wastewater treatment plant into a bay which fronts the Vaal Dam wall and is said to be a popular tourist hub. The residents are said to have voted against the construction of the pipeline in 2015, however, the municipality is said to be persisting with its plans.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster the Glen Mc Carroll, from the Deneysville Ratepayers Association said that the Metsimaholo Local Municipality has gone ahead with constructing part of this controversial pipeline without public participation and with no water use license (WUL) in place. He added that the municipality wants to use a 2016 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regarding a wetland through which they have installed the pipeline, there are three sections that still need to be done to complete the pipeline a section where they need to blast some rock that is in the way, the section going under the R716 roadway and the tie into the sewer treatment works.
“Residents are also concerned that little or no attention has been given to the impact of sewage pollution on the Vaal Dam in this area. Metsimaholo agrees that more public participation is required and plan to have further meetings, giving the public at least two weeks’ notice.”
Mc Carroll further said that the Deneysville residents suggested that the new pipeline follow the route of the existing effluent pipeline which would increase the length of the effluent pipeline, enabling the discharge point being closer to the dam wall and in flowing water instead a stagnant body of water.
“The reason for discharging the effluent into the dam is that, in times of drought the Vaal Dam water level drops significantly. This pipeline will represent a major threat to the wetland and will cause major sewage pollution in the dam, affecting tourism and the countries drinking water. The Refenkgkotso waste treatment plant is currently being upgraded to increase capacity to treat sewage to 6 million liters per day.
“The existing treatment works has been in a state of disrepair since 2015, polluting the dam and its environs with raw sewage via channels that have been dug to guide the raw sewage into the dam and surrounding water courses.”
Mc Carroll concluded that, Graeme Fenwick, a design engineer from Tecroveer, and representing the contractor Safcrete, gave assurances that they would oversee the project in the first few months of its operation to train the municipality to operate the plant and stated that there is a 12-month defects liability period on the project.
“There is no guarantee as to the ongoing maintenance and operation of the plant in years to come. The history of Metsimaholo municipality in the maintenance and operation this type of plant does not inspire confidence that the plant will deliver Green Drop water to the standards stipulated in the report published in March 2022.”
The water use license for Metsimaholo treatment plant is said to have expired during June of 2021, meaning that the construction of the pipeline is currently illegal. The people being affected by the polluting of the Vaal dam said, “NO TO THE COMMISSIONING OF THIS SEWER EFFLUENT PIPELINE”. ‘Save the Vaal Environment’ is also very concerned about the proposed pipeline and is consulting with its legal team.
