WATCH: Tshwane and Danish city join hands to tackle local water woes
Through this collaboration, Tshwane will have access to valuable expertise and resources to improve its water infrastructure and safeguard the city's water supply.
Tshwane metro and the Danish city of Aarhus officially signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) to seal the three-year collaborative project to help improve the metro’s capacity to manage its water resources.
The deal entails an injection of R33-million into Tshwane’s coffers to fund different study models and concepts to enhance Tshwane’s water security.
The agreement was signed during a media briefing at Tshwane House on Tuesday, October 4.
Mayor Cilliers Brink said the collaboration offers more than just monetary value, it is also a unique opportunity for knowledge-sharing.
“The partnership will facilitate expertise-sharing and capacity-building in areas such as water conservation, water quality management and water infrastructure development,” said Brink.
He said this partnership is vital as it will help improve the city’s water resilience and promote water security, water management and skills enhancement.
“This partnership is a window of opportunity for the city to learn best practices in water security and management from world-class cities.”
Brink said this was a holistic approach of the partnership, which goes beyond simply seeking funding for water infrastructure upgrades, particularly the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant.
“The two cities have agreed to collaborate on water-management projects, such as reducing non-revenue water losses, active leak detection, prioritising pipe replacement, focusing on own water generation and managing wastewater effectively.
By learning from the expertise of the Danish government, Tshwane can better manage its water resources and ensure that its residents have access to clean and safe water.”
He said this partnership has the potential to address water challenges in Tshwane, especially Hammanskraal, which has been facing serious water challenges.
Brink said the city understands the frustration of the people of Hammanskraal who, for so many years, have suffered the consequences of Rooiwal not operating.
He said Rooiwal is in the worst condition of all the city’s wastewater treatment plants and that is concerning.
“This highlights the need for urgent investment and maintenance in the city’s infrastructure.”
He said that many other treatment plants and pieces of infrastructure are also in need of repair and upgrading.
Brink said the city is facing huge challenges with its wastewater infrastructure.
“There is a lack of standard operating procedures that are being followed consistently, which is leading to poor maintenance and management of the plants.”
He said the funding gap for the necessary upgrades to Rooiwal was another issue.
The mayor promised that the funding injection would be used for its intended purposes.
“We are delighted that the Presidency declared a special investigating unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration and corruption in the R295-million tender to upgrade the Rooiwal plant.”
The SIU will also help track any breaches in the metro.
Aarhus mayor Jacob Bundsgaard said the partnership will be helpful for both cities.
He commended Brink for the great work he is doing in reviving Tshwane back to its former glory.
He said Denmark depends largely on groundwater.
“Water quality in Denmark is largely due to the nation’s strict regulations and comprehensive management programmes.”
He said the Danish government has implemented a variety of measures to address groundwater contamination.
“This includes regulations on the use of chemicals that may pollute groundwater and monitoring and treatment programmes for affected areas.
Mostly we have very safe drinking water in Denmark.”
Bundsgaard highlighted the importance of effective wastewater treatment for any city.
“The partnership can benefit both Tshwane and Aarhus by sharing knowledge and expertise to ensure the efficient operation of wastewater treatment systems, purifying of water and water distribution to all residents.”
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