After years of sewage spills, vandalism and ageing infrastructure hampering wastewater treatment operations, the Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) has provided an update on progress made at several troubled wastewater treatment plants.

According to MCLM head of corporate communications Adrian Amod, the municipality’s Water Services Department has been working since 2023 to restore and stabilise key wastewater infrastructure, including the Percy Stewart, Flip Human and Magaliesburg wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), as well as municipal pump stations.

“Although still a work in progress, these interventions across the network will eventually achieve compliance with Water and Sanitation licence standards, increased operational capacity, safer wastewater treatment processes and improved quality of water discharged into river systems and streams,” said Amod.

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Percy Stewart WWTW

The Percy Stewart plant, which processes 27 megalitres of wastewater daily, is currently fully operational.

Amod said the plant had experienced severe operational problems by 2021 due to ageing infrastructure, resulting in sewage being discharged into the Blougatspruit.

The municipality allocated R35m between 2021 and 2023 for phased refurbishment work. However, repeated incidents of theft and vandalism caused an estimated R48m in damage and reversed much of the progress made.

To stabilise operations, the municipality resumed refurbishment work in 2023, supported by increased on-site security and specialist contractors.

Current work focuses on improving influent quality, addressing illegal dumping and commissioning a chlorination system to resolve disinfection challenges.

According to Amod, overall progress at the plant currently stands at about 82%, with completion expected by June 30.

The final phase of the project includes:

• refurbishment of remaining treatment units
• installation of monitoring and automation systems, and further water quality improvements to meet regulatory standards

Flip Human WWTW

The Flip Human WWTW serves areas including Kagiso, Riverside, Rietvallei, Azaadville and Lusaka, and has a treatment capacity of 50 megalitres per day.

The municipality received a R67m grant during the 2023/ 24 financial year for phased refurbishment work at the plant.

Emergency interventions between November 2024 and January 2025 focused on restoring critical electrical infrastructure following extensive theft and vandalism. Work included repairs to pump stations, replacement of stolen power cables and refurbishment of chlorine dosing systems to prevent sewer spillages and restore wastewater flow.

Further work carried out between January and June 2025 focused on improving solids removal capacity and clearing blockages caused mainly by fat build-up.

MCLM is also working to increase the plant’s treatment capacity by an additional 20 megalitres per day.

Amod said the expansion project is in its final stages, with site work about 95% complete.

Recent work included:

• installation of pumps and flow-control equipment
• testing and commissioning of electrical systems
• cleaning and refurbishment of treatment tanks, and
• sealing and waterproofing in treatment areas

While some delays were experienced due to underground water ingress, Amod said mitigation measures are in place, and work is continuing.

He added that completion timelines depend on the desludging process and budget availability, with the remaining work expected to continue into the 2026/ 27 financial year.

Magaliesburg WWTW

The Magaliesburg WWTW, which can process 3.5 megalitres daily, is currently operational and discharging acceptable effluent quality.

However, Amod said the plant had not been operating at full efficiency because several pump stations in the area were non-functional, limiting the amount of wastewater reaching the plant.

The municipality prioritised refurbishment work at these pump stations during the 2025/ 26 financial year, with the work now reportedly 98% complete.

“As a result, the plant is scheduled for full commissioning in June, after which optimal performance and full regulatory compliance can be expected,” said Amod.

He added that refurbishment of the treatment plant itself was completed during the 2023/ 24 financial year.

Municipal pump stations

According to Amod, the municipality operates 21 pump stations, which are essential for transporting sewage from communities and low-lying areas to treatment plants.

Around January 2024, about 70% of the pump stations were either non-operational or only partially operational.

Currently, 16 pump stations are fully operational, including Chief Mogale, Munsieville and Brickvale, while five remain partially operational, including Chancliff, Pinehaven and Rietfontein Village.

Amod said that despite budget constraints and phased refurbishment work, the upgrades represent a significant step towards restoring wastewater infrastructure, improving environmental compliance and strengthening service delivery across Mogale City.

He added that the municipality ultimately aims to rehabilitate affected streams once compliance standards have been achieved.