CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN HAMMANSKRAAL

Mchunu of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

Upgrades to the Rooiwal WWTW commenced in early 2020, costing the City more than R2 billion. Shockingly, however, the upgrade remains uncompleted after CoT terminated a contract with the service provider as a result of non-performance in August 2022 and a forensic report subsequently declared the awarding of the tender irregular. Rooiwal is the biggest WWTW in Tshwane, treating almost half of its wastewater. Currently, potable water is provided to affected communities through the deployment of water tankers.

Enforcement

Over the past few years, the DWS instituted a series of enforcement directives and compliance requirements against the City to deal with the pollution from the Rooiwal WWTW.

The DWS has been continuously carrying out water quality tests at the Temba WTW and at water distribution points in Hammanskraal, with the latest tests indicating that the drinking water quality from the Temba WTW does not meet minimum drinking water quality standards.

“After the City failed to respond to the department’s directives, a legal process was instituted against the city by the DWS, with the aim of obtaining a court order to force the city to address the failure of the Rooiwal WWTW. This legal process is currently underway and, to date, the City has opposed the legal action,” Mchunu explains.

WHAT IS CHOLERA?

Cholera is a waterborne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is contracted when a person ingests food or water contaminated with the bacterium. Cholera can cause acute diarrhoea and vomiting, leading to severe dehydration and, if left untreated, death within a few hours.

The DWS has also directed the City to stop supplying water from the Temba WTW to residents of Hammanskraal for human consumption.

CoT had rejected recommendations made by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in a 2021 report, Gauteng Provincial Inquiry into the Sewage Pollution of the City of Tshwane’s Rivers and the Roodeplaat Dam, which recommended that national government take over the water and sanitation function of the City in terms of section 139 (7) of the Constitution, section 63 of the Water Services Act (No. 108 of 1997), and section 19 of the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998).

The DWS engaged with National Treasury for funding for the intervention recommended by the SAHRC, but National Treasury indicated that the City had already been provided with funding for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Rooiwal WWTW, through its Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) allocations.

“Consequently, the department has pursued legal action against the City for a court order to force the City to use its USDG allocations to rehabilitate and upgrade the Rooiwal WWTW,” adds Mchunu.

The dual water systems supplied by Magalies Water and Rand Water meet the drinking water quality standards, as per the SANS 241.

Plans going forward

CoT has budgeted more than R400 million over three years for the renovations to the Rooiwal WWTW from its USDG allocation.

An additional R4 billion will be sourced from a loan from the Development Bank of Southern Africa, but this loan needs a guarantee from the National Treasury. If the guarantee is clinched, a new contractor could be employed, and the project would commence in September. This project will be undertaken in three stages, with several short-term interventions put in place until the project is completed. The whole project should be completed by 2026.

In the short term, improved wastewater technology will be installed at Rooiwal between August 2023 and March 2024 to better treat the sewage and increase the quality of the effluent discharged into the Apies River.

In an effort to improve drinking water quality in the fastest possible time, Magalies Water will, starting from July, install a package potable water plant at its Klipdrift WTW near Hammanskraal to feed into Hammanskraal’s piped water distribution system and ensure clean water supply.

There is an existing connection between the works and the piped water distribution system in Hammanskraal.

The 30 M ℓ /day to 40 M ℓ /day plant will be installed in phases, in increments of 10 M ℓ /day capacity, with full completion expected by March 2024, by which time residents of Hammanskraal will be provided with sufficient drinking water from their taps and the City will be able to temporarily stop supplying residents with water from the Temba WTW until the quality meets drinkable standards again.

In the interim, carefully monitored water tankers will continue supply at designated water filling points until the package plant is in place.

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