Municipalities Should Prioritize Fixing Dysfunctional Wastewater Infrastructure – Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Sello Seitlholo urged municipalities with non-functional wastewater treatment facilities to urgently prioritize infrastructure improvements.

While visiting the uMhlathuzana, Umhlanga, and Phoenix Wastewater Treatment Works in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, Seitlholo made this appeal to the municipalities, asking them to check on the progress of repairs to infrastructure damaged by floods over two years ago, SA News reported.

EThekwini Municipality signed a contract with uMngeni-uThukela Water to handle the operation and maintenance of 10 of its wastewater treatment plants, which together account for 90% of the municipality's sewage.

During his visit, Seitlholo noted that it was positive to see the municipality partnering with uMngeni-uThukela Water to restore and maintain its infrastructure. Although the facilities are not yet fully operational, Seitlholo was pleased that uMngeni-uThukela Water, under its Service Level Agreement with the municipality, has made progress.

The Umhlanga plant is now 50% operational, after having been completely shut down due to flood damage. The deputy minister shared his concerns about the state of sanitation in South Africa after discussions with the eThekwini municipality and uMngeni-uThukela Water.

He noted that wastewater management and sanitation are not receiving enough attention. Seitlholo urged South Africans to recognize that pollution in water resources threatens the country's water security.

The deputy minister explained that heavily polluted rivers require more costly treatment to produce clean water, affecting people, farmers, and businesses economically.

Seitlholo called on all South Africans to stop polluting and urged municipalities with non-functional wastewater facilities to prioritize infrastructure improvements urgently. Furthermore, he committed to raising awareness across provinces to encourage responsibility and reduce pollution.

Earlier this week, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina reassured continued supply of water to residents affected by the shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel for maintenance.

The maintenance of the LHWP tunnel involves a complete shutdown, which started on Oct. 1. The maintenance includes general inspection and repair works to ensure the integrity and reliability of the entire water tunnel system.

These projects, worth around R100 billion, include the R42 billion second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water project, which will provide extra water to Gauteng.