Lekwa’s Water treatment plant at critical risk
MEC Msibi revealed that the province is going to need R350m to upgrade the plant and looking at the current trajectory of repairs conducted by the municipality, and at the rate they are going, it will probably take another 70 years to fix it.
Lekwa Municipality is a danger to the environment and community dependent on the Vaal River. This viewpoint was expressed by Trudie Grovè-Morgan, MPL and the DA spokesperson on CoGTA.
According to a media statement dated March 30, the party has grave concerns with the provincial government and Lekwa’s laid-back approach to rectify the Standerton Wastewater Treatment Plant, polluting the Vaal River since 2009.
According to Grové-Morgan, raw sewage still flows directly into the river, despite spending more than R73m in the last 14 years on contractors hired to repair the plant.
She mentioned the harm to the environment and the danger to livestock, fish and people who depend on the river for survival.
After CoGTA MEC Mandla Msibi recently responded to questions from the DA, it was said that the plant is still plagued inter alia by ageing infrastructure, operating above capacity, cable theft and vandalism of infrastructure, poor infrastructure planning and maintenance, as well as inadequate budget.
According to the Green Drop Report for 2022, the plant is operating at 164% over capacity and it achieved an overall score of 17% which places the plant at a critical risk.
According to the statement, the intentional pollution of a freshwater reserve is a serious issue and an offence listed in the National Water Act.
The DA questioned why Lekwa chose to spend a mere R73m on repairs from 2009 onwards.
Msibi revealed that the province is going to need R350m to upgrade the plant and looking at the current trajectory of repairs conducted by the municipality and at the rate they are going, it will probably take another 70 years to fix it.
According to the statement, all the above indicates the government is the biggest culprit in polluting the country’s freshwater sources by failing to ensure that sewage treatment works are functioning.
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In recent years, Lekwa has been accused of mismanagement and been taken to court by businesses and farmers around Standerton for failing to provide clean and sufficient water and electricity.
“If they don’t have enough resources to fund repairs of the Standerton Wastewater Treatment Plant, the DA would suggest that they approach the National Department of Water and Sanitation because the Vaal is a national river that goes through other provinces,” the statement read.
The DA will also request more detail from Msibi regarding the current funding available for upgrading this treatment plant.
“We will urgently need a breakdown of the funding and a timeline for rectifying the problems,” the statement concluded.
