Measures underway to improve South Africa's Sebokeng Regional Sewer Scheme

In order to ensure the security of the infrastructure, the department said Minister Gugile Nkwinti has taken a decision to approach the President to declare the SRSS a national key point.

The Department of Water and Sanitation says a number of issues surrounding the non-performance of Sebokeng Regional Sewer Scheme (SRSS) are being looked into and proper planning towards their resolution is being put in place.

“This includes ongoing engagement with the local community to update it on progress and the importance of the scheme working. This resulted in the blockade of the scheme being lifted and the technical staff being allowed back on site,” the department said in a statement.

In order to ensure the security of the infrastructure, the department said Minister Gugile Nkwinti has taken a decision to approach the President to declare the SRSS a national key point.

This will lead to not just heightened security around the facility but its operations not being interrupted by civil strife.

The department said a major shortfall has been in the ineffective operation and maintenance of the plant by the local municipality.

“The operations and maintenance of any infrastructure are critical, as it determines the kind of effluent that is derived from it and its impact not just on the water-courses but on the environment as well,” the department said.

Measures are now underway to ensure that not only Module 6 of the SRSS is completed, but that Modules 2 – 5 are also brought back to full capacity.

“All of this will lead to the next stage of the construction and commissioning of Module 7 in time. It will be important that all the work around the SRSS will need to be supported by ensuring that the other pump stations that feed into it are also fully functional, i.e. all of the feeder pump stations.

“While the technical work is envisaged to go full steam ahead, this has to be supported by the requisite political and institutional solutions within the affected municipalities. What is needed is that whether there is a change of the political guard or not, the basic requirements of infrastructure development and that which is in place should not be compromised,” the department said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, Gauteng Provincial Government, together with the Sedibeng District and Emfuleni Local Municipalities are working hard towards the resolution of the matters surrounding the state of the Vaal River and Vaal Dam.

The department has recently been inundated with reports of fish kills in the Vaal River, especially at the Vaal Barrage and downstream.

Last week, the department reported that the results on water samples taken for analysis following the fish kills in the Vaal River are still pending.