Latest news with #DepartmentofWaterandSanitation
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Reasons given for incomplete eradication of 10 000 bucket toilets
The Bucket Eradication Programme was first announced in 2016 and projects to rid eight towns of bucket toilets are still underway. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is still working through its bucket toilet backlog, with some areas unlikely to be complete before early 2027. Eight towns — predominantly in the Free State — have projects underway to eradicate a total of 10 700 bucket toilets. According to the department, the projects are at various stages of completion but have encountered several problems since work began. 10 000 toilets by 2026 Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majondina revealed the status of the projects and the reasons for delays in a recent written response to a parliamentary question. The projects fall under the Bucket Eradication Programme (BEP), which focuses on informal toilets in the North West, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State. Projects in the Setsoto Local Municipality towns of Senekal, Ficksburg and Clocolan are at 83%, 78% and 82%. The work to remove just over 6000 bucket toilets is set to be complete by March 2026, but DWS states that hard rock found during trench excavations slowed work and led to equipment failures. DWS's in-house construction unit took over projects in Reitz and Mamafubedu in the Nketoana Local Municipality after the contractor was removed. However, no targeted completion date was disclosed. Also in Nketoana, the removal of 1 192 toilets in Arlington is 84% complete, with the department expecting the work to be completed by the end of October. The same deadline is set for a 1279-toilet project in Dealesville where the department is 94% complete. In Campbell in the Northern Cape, a project to remove 596 bucket toilets sits at 0% completion, as the budget was required to be split over two financial years. Problems on site In addition to the reasons given for the Setsoto delays, the department listed seven other reasons for project delays. In Senekal and Arlington, the expropriation of privately owned land was cited as creating a lengthy delay. Excessive rain in the first three months of 2025 slowed progress, as did the discovery of high water tables at all projects. Cash flow challenges were repeatedly reported by contractors, design challenges were encountered mid-construction, and stoppages have occurred due to labour disputes. Additionally, municipalities have been slow to issue wayleaves and identify servitudes. 'Not properly planned' Majondina's response stated that the original aims of the project did not align with the reality on the ground, as bulk water services were not present to service the new toilets. 'The programme was not properly planned at its inception and detailed feasibility studies for implementing water-borne sanitation were not done,' stated the minister. Majondina added that project support was now being provided to contractors through the department's engineering unit. 'The department is actively monitoring the BEP projects through the supervision of a resident engineer stationed permanently on site per project as well as monthly site progress meetings to ensure that any challenges that arise are attended to expeditiously,' she concluded. NOW READ: SAHRC urges government to accelerate eradication of pit latrines and bucket toilets
The Citizen
5 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Thirst and fury in Hammanskraal with pipeline delays
Residents of Hammanskraal have had to endure more than 40 days without a single drop of water from their taps. Despite government assurances of progress, frustration is boiling over as delays in critical infrastructure projects continue to leave residents dry, angry, and demanding answers. The crisis persists even as government officials point to recent infrastructure developments, including the partial handover of the much-anticipated Module 2 of the Klipdrift Water Treatment Works, formally handed to the Tshwane Metro on June 29. The new module is designed to supply 12.5 million litres of water daily, yet for communities like Kudube units 1, 2, 3, 6, 10 and D, Jubilee Tower, and Majaneng, it hasn't translated into flowing taps. 'You can imagine not having water for six weeks, you will be stressed, your life changes, and remember, we don't use pit toilets here, we use flushing toilets. 'We need water on a regular basis and with us not having water, at some point you need to postpone when nature calls,' said frustrated resident Katlego Mthombeni. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Tshwane Metro and Magalies Water have acknowledged the continued inconsistent water supply in the phase two targeted areas. According to a joint update issued on July 23, a key reason for the delay in restoring full supply is that the permanent pipeline meant to transport treated water from Babelegi to the Temba Reservoir 3 has not been completed. Mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said in its place, officials have been using an old, temporary pipeline, which has been plagued by frequent leaks and limited delivery volumes. Mgobozi said the temporary system is reportedly only supplying around 6.3 million litres per day, far below the required levels needed to flush and pressurise the network. To make up for the shortfall, Mgobozi said the metro has increased the number of water tankers deployed in the affected communities. But residents said the rollout is disorganised, insufficient, and unreliable. Mthombeni confirmed that they were promised water trucks by the municipality, but they don't come regularly and are not enough. The metro has promised to release a detailed schedule of tanker availability, but community members argue that without proper communication or accountability, the schedule will mean little. Adding to residents' frustration is uncertainty over water safety. While Mgobozi confirmed that water produced by both Klipdrift modules meets minimum SANS 241:2015 quality standards, he cautioned residents in Module 2 areas not to drink water from their taps until further notice. 'The message we have for the municipality as residents is that they must be transparent, they must communicate with us because the mayor promised that within three weeks the water will be safe and she will come and drink the water. 'She must come and address us because she is the one who gave us this promise. I feel like Module 2 is not ready. We must not continue to suffer like this,' said Mthombeni. Mgobozi said the water flushing and cleaning process is 90% complete, but the low volumes from the temporary system are hampering progress. The DWS warned that reverting to older sources like the Temba Water Treatment Works would undo the flushing gains and delay restoration into mid-September. Wisane Mavasa of the department said some residents have asked for the old supply from Temba Water Treatment Works to be restored while waiting for increased volume. Mavasa however said that would reverse the progress made to date and delay the completion of the flushing process to around mid-September. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
eNCA
6 days ago
- Health
- eNCA
Residents of Hammanskraal demand answers
TSHWANE - The water woes continue for residents of Hammanskraal in the capital Tshwane. After years of failed projects and a cholera outbreak in 2023 that left 30 people dead, a major water project has been underway to restore access to clean drinking water. The Hammanskraal Water Project entered phase 2 at the end of July when the Department of Water and Sanitation handed over the newly upgraded Klipdrift water treatment works to the Metro. But three weeks later, all the players are apolologising for the hardship and inconvenience to residents who are still receiving nothing.
IOL News
21-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Mpophomeni Wastewater Treatment Works to enhance water and sanitation security in KZN Midlands
The Mpophomeni Wastewater Treatment Plant was commissioned on Friday. Image: Sello Seitlholo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation / Facebook The government has taken another step towards addressing issues of water and sanitation security in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands with the commissioning of the Mpophomeni Wastewater Treatment Works, a project valued at R450 million. The project is a key part of the government's efforts to ensure water and sanitation security in the uMgungundlovu District. The department stated that the treatment works complement the Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme. The Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme is currently undergoing major upgrades to allow it to supply water to hundreds of thousands of residents in the Vulindlela area under the Msunduzi Municipality, who have not had tap water for more than five years. In July 2023, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DSW) held a sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of upgrades for Phase 1 of the Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme, a mega water supply project. It was stated at the time that the project, upon completion, will provide safe drinking water to communities in the uMngeni and Msunduzi Local Municipalities and surrounding areas in the district. The Mpophomeni wastewater project was launched this past Friday and is expected to address the sanitation and water challenges of 27,000 people in and around the Mpophomeni area. Residents in upper Vulindlela have highlighted their concerns regarding the need for water security, pointing out that for the past few years, they have had to rely on erratic supply from water tankers or fetch water from a borehole that belongs to a local doctor's office. They revealed that the municipality recently drilled a borehole, which malfunctioned, and residents were asked to pay towards its repairs. During Friday's launch, Deputy Ministers Sello Seitlholo and David Mahlobo provided a progress update on Phase 1 of the Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme. The Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme, one of the government's most successful post-1994 infrastructure projects, is located west of Pietermaritzburg. Initially constructed in 1998 and later designated a National Presidential Lead Project, the scheme is being upgraded in response to population growth in Vulindlela and increased municipal water demand. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The Mpophomeni Wastewater Treatment Works is intended to serve the communities of Mpophomeni, Khayelisha, and surrounding areas, benefiting approximately 27,000 residents. Image: Sello Seitlholo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation / Facebook A major component of the Phase 1 upgrade is the construction of a new reservoir that will increase drinking water storage by 20 megalitres per day, bringing the total to 35 megalitres per day to ensure more consistent water distribution to communities across the region. Additional infrastructure includes new pipelines between reservoirs, a new pump station, and an augmented power supply. This project complements the commissioned Mpophomeni Wastewater Treatment Works. Together, these two strategic infrastructure projects form part of the department's integrated efforts to ensure long-term water and sanitation security for communities in the uMgungundlovu District. Speaking at the launch, Mahlobo stated that the project's commissioning 'marks a major step forward for service delivery, water security, and cooperative governance in KwaZulu-Natal.' The Mpophomeni infrastructure project is designed to significantly improve sanitation services, protect sensitive wetland ecosystems, and enhance the quality of life for communities. It is currently operating at a treatment capacity of 6 million litres per day, with provision for future expansion to 12 million litres per day. The facility includes a 7-kilometre treated effluent pipeline and the rehabilitation of the Mpophomeni wetland. Seitlholo welcomed the commissioning while issuing a firm call to action to municipalities. 'The success of Mpophomeni proves that service delivery is possible when all spheres of government work together. But we cannot stop here. Municipalities must build on this momentum and address governance gaps, strengthening technical capacity and accelerating delivery. Our citizens deserve systems that work and leaders who make that happen without delay,' said Seitlholo. THE MERCURY
The South African
20-07-2025
- Health
- The South African
'No health risk': Government assures after ARVs were found in water sources
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has assured the public that the presence of anti-retroviral (ARV) residues in drinking water poses no health risk and cannot result in HIV transmission. This comes as a study conducted by the North West University (NWU) found measurable levels of ARV residues in some of the country's water sources. The report by the NWU's Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management and the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, titled 'Quantification, Fate, and Hazard Assessment of HIV-ARVs in Water Resources', revealed that ARVs are entering the water supply primarily through municipal wastewater treatment systems. As per the study, the most detected ARVs included lopinavir and efavirenz, with concentrations at some sites far exceeding global norms. The study found that concentrations of ARVs in some water sources exceeded acceptable thresholds, posing potential long-term health risks to humans, and the team emphasised that the current wastewater treatment processes are inadequate for removing these bioactive compounds, highlighting the need for technological advancements. Higher concentrations of traces of ARVs were found downstream of wastewater treatment plants. This means that the municipal wastewater treatment works are not removing them, because most existing wastewater treatment works have not been designed to remove contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), the Department of Water and Sanitation, together with the Water Research Commission, said in a joint statement. Low concentrations of ARVs were found in some of the drinking water samples. There is a possibility that high concentrations of ARVs in sewage or municipal wastewater might reduce the effectiveness of the wastewater treatment works in removing bacteria from the wastewater. Further research is required in this regard. Following concerns, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Water Research Commission have clarified that the presence of ARV residues in drinking water is harmless, 'although prolonged exposure to the broader population may lead to antimicrobial resistance, a subject of ongoing research. Pharmaceuticals such as ARVs are drugs used to treat diseases – they do not cause diseases. Therefore, the presence of traces of ARVs in the water will not result in people contracting HIV.' 'At present, there is limited knowledge of environmental toxicity, potential adverse effects on ecosystems, and viral resistance of these compounds. The study did not find any ARVs in fish.' According to DWS, the issue of contaminants of emerging concern in water not only affects South Africa but is a growing global problem and area of attention around the world. Globally, the level of CEC compounds in water is generally not yet regulated. This is partly due to their presence often being below water quality detection limits. However, due to their continuous production, lack of appropriate disposal, constant input into the environment and presence in water resources, albeit in small concentrations, there is now increasing global research into the issue. 'Traces of pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and other such CECs that have been found in water resources in South Africa are tiny quantities, measured in nanograms (one billionth of a gram). Conventional water and wastewater treatment technologies are designed to remove much larger contaminants, such as particles of faeces and bacteria,' the department added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
