Seitlholo Notes Improvement at Mogale City Wastewater Plant but Warns More Work Needed

According to South Africa’s latest Green Drop Report, wastewater systems within Mogale City continue to perform poorly overall, with scores remaining below 30 percent in several critical areas.

South Africa's Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo, has acknowledged visible operational improvements at the Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Works in Mogale City, Gauteng, while warning that significant work still remains to ensure treated wastewater meets national environmental and water quality standards.

Seitlholo made the remarks during a working visit to Mogale City Local Municipality, where he met municipal leaders and conducted oversight inspections of wastewater infrastructure linked to pollution concerns affecting the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and nearby river systems.

Pollution Concerns Affecting Major Water Systems

The Deputy Minister's visit focused on pollution caused by poor-quality effluent discharged into:

• Blougatspruit

• Bloubankspruit tributaries

• Crocodile River system

from municipal wastewater systems in the Rand West region.

Officials warned that untreated or inadequately treated wastewater continues to pose serious environmental and public health risks to downstream ecosystems and water users.

The Crocodile River system eventually feeds into the Hartbeespoort Dam, which serves as an important water source for communities and agricultural irrigation systems in the region.

Green Drop Report Shows Continued Poor Performance

According to South Africa's latest Green Drop Report, wastewater systems within Mogale City continue to perform poorly overall, with scores remaining below 30 percent in several critical areas.

The report revealed the following wastewater treatment performance scores:

• Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Works – 68%

• Flip Human Wastewater Treatment Works – 64%

• Magaliesburg Wastewater Treatment Works – 49%

While Percy Stewart showed comparatively better performance, officials indicated that all systems still require significant operational and infrastructure improvements to achieve acceptable compliance standards.

Stakeholder Meeting Held With Municipal Leaders

As part of the visit, Seitlholo convened a stakeholder engagement involving executive mayors from:

• Mogale City Local Municipality

• Rand West City Local Municipality

• Merafong City Local Municipality

The discussions focused on addressing pollution concerns linked to wastewater discharged into regional water systems.

The engagement formed part of the Department of Water and Sanitation's broader programme aimed at:

• Monitoring municipal wastewater systems

• Strengthening regulatory compliance

• Supporting municipalities with infrastructure upgrades

• Reducing pollution caused by untreated waste discharge

Municipal leaders reportedly committed to improving wastewater treatment operations and enhancing the quality of effluent released into local waterways.

Percy Stewart Plant Undergoing Refurbishment

Following the stakeholder meeting, the Deputy Minister conducted an oversight inspection of the Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Works, which is currently undergoing refurbishment.

The inspection assessed:

• Operational performance

• Infrastructure condition

• Refurbishment progress

• Compliance with treatment standards

Seitlholo acknowledged that significant operational improvements have already been made at the plant.

However, he warned that several critical issues remain unresolved, particularly the refurbishment of non-operational pump stations.

Threat to Cradle of Humankind and Hartbeespoort Dam

The Deputy Minister emphasized that failure to fully resolve wastewater management problems could continue harming downstream ecosystems and water users.

Areas potentially affected include:

• Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

• Crocodile River system

• Hartbeespoort Dam

The Hartbeespoort Dam plays a crucial role in supplying water to:

• Madibeng Local Municipality

• Agricultural irrigation systems managed by the Hartbeespoort Irrigation Board

Environmental experts have long warned that pollution entering these river systems contributes to water quality deterioration, ecological damage, and broader public health risks.

Effluent Dosing to Remove E. coli Planned

Seitlholo stated that the municipality is expected to complete effluent dosing measures in the coming months aimed at removing E. coli bacteria from treated wastewater.

The Deputy Minister said that while operational improvements are visible, treated effluent quality still does not fully meet required national standards.

"There are major improvements that have been made in most parts of the Wastewater Treatment Works, but there is more to be done to bring the treated effluent to the required standards," he said.

Merafong Municipality Still in Critical Condition

The Deputy Minister also expressed concern about wastewater infrastructure conditions in Merafong Local Municipality, describing the municipality as remaining in a critical stage according to Green Drop assessments.

He said the Department of Water and Sanitation would continue supporting Merafong in efforts to rehabilitate and improve its wastewater treatment systems.

The Green Drop programme remains one of South Africa's key regulatory tools for evaluating wastewater treatment performance and municipal compliance with environmental standards.

Government Support Through Infrastructure Grants

Over the past five years, the Department of Water and Sanitation has supported Mogale City through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG).

The funding has assisted the municipality in addressing water and sanitation challenges, including refurbishment work at the Percy Stewart plant.

Officials noted that the plant discharges treated effluent into the Blougatspruit and Bloubankspruit systems, making effective treatment operations especially important for downstream environmental protection.

Mogale City Acknowledges Need for Improvement

Mogale City Executive Mayor Lucky Sele acknowledged that although operational improvements have been achieved, the municipality has regressed in recent Green Drop evaluations.

Sele said municipal teams have worked extensively to restore plant functionality and improve wastewater treatment performance.

"We have worked tirelessly to bring the plant to functionality, and we hope that in the next Green Drop evaluations, we will be able to do better as the city," he stated.

Wastewater Management Growing National Concern

Wastewater treatment and municipal infrastructure failures have become growing concerns across South Africa, with many municipalities struggling due to:

• Aging infrastructure

• Financial constraints

• Operational inefficiencies

• Skills shortages

• Maintenance backlogs

Environmental experts warn that inadequate wastewater treatment contributes to:

• River pollution

• Ecosystem degradation

• Public health risks

• Agricultural contamination

• Water supply challenges

The Department of Water and Sanitation has increasingly intensified oversight, regulatory enforcement, and infrastructure support efforts to address deteriorating municipal wastewater systems nationwide.

Focus on Long-Term Water Security

Officials believe improving wastewater treatment infrastructure is critical not only for environmental protection but also for long-term water security and sustainable economic development.

As climate pressures and water scarcity challenges intensify, effective wastewater management is becoming increasingly important for protecting South Africa's freshwater systems and supporting future urban and agricultural water needs.