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R2.1 billion Rooiwal waste water treatment plant project underway

The R2.1 billion project to expand the capacity of the Rooiwal waste water treatment plant has started in earnest with the intention to address the longstanding problem of dirty water experienced by Hammanskraal residents.

Local government MEC Lebogang Maile said the project got underway last Monday and it was anticipated to be completed in June 2022. This was said during the sod-turning ceremony at the plant known for providing contaminated water to residents for years.

The ageing plant discharged sludge into the Apies River, which in turn supplied water into the Temba water treatment plant, used for purifying water for the locals. Maile said the plant problem was just the tip of the iceberg of water operation systems in the metro.

"The municipality has got about 15 other treatment plants excluding this one which are not in good condition and that is why they (the City) have decided to acquire the services of an Ekurhuleni water care company," he said.

The company was appointed in January through a council resolution, but it could not work immediately due to some contractual issues with the municipality. Maile said the contract had since been sorted out by a team of administrators he appointed in March to run the City.

The project would be divided into four phases with the first one valued at R370 million. "They will also be building a new tanker which is two times the size of a current tanker, which is a significant part of the project," Maile said. The City would continue with the maintenance of the plant during the expansion process.

"When we are dealing with the problem we will be dealing with the source of what creates the pollution into the Hammanskraal water. In that way we would have met the commitment we made not only in Hammanskraal but with the City as a whole," he said. He assured residents that they would continue to receive water from more than 960 water tanks deployed in the township.

"The problem is not only in Hammanskraal and in fact if the 15 treatment plants are not attended to immediately the whole of Tshwane is likely to be in the same situation as Hammanskraal. The problem is big and it can get out of hand and become a humanitarian disaster if it is not attended to speedily and decisively," Maile said.

Source: www.iol.co.za

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R2.1 billion Rooiwal waste water treatment plant project underway

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