The DA-led multi-party administration is decisively dealing with the plight of communities relying on the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works [WWTW] for water.
The plant has, over the years, become in desperate need of upgrades and extensions to existing infrastructure following recurring incidents of sewage spillage that continues to pollute farmlands as well as the Apies River placing the community at risk.
Built in 1951, the Rooiwal WWTP serves areas such as Soshanguve, Pretoria North, Rosslyn and Wonderboom and has an average treatment capacity of 180 Mega Litres per day. Historically the plant is responsible for sewage spillage owing to cable theft, lack of preventative maintenance and frequent electrical failure on equipment due to old infrastructure.
The Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, visited the treatment plant last month to get first hand appreciation of the challenges being encountered. There, he acknowledged the hardship and inconvenience to many residents in the area.
To date, the City has appointed contractors to counter the combined effects of organic and hydraulic overload which leads to continuous discharge of sub-standard effluent into the Apies River. Work has started on the dredging of the ponds that contain sludge, thus curtailing any sludge build up in the area.
The scope of the upgrading of the existing infrastructure consists of upgrading of the degritting facilities with additional grit classifiers and degritter pumps, new mechanical equipment for the dissolved air flotation (DAF) and new dewatering belt press equipment for top dewatering building at sludge dam, amongst others.
The projects capital cost is estimated to be in excess of R2 billion. The current medium term financial framework (MTRF) for the 2016/2017 financial year has the following funding allocation:
- 2016/17 – R 33 million
- 2017/18 – R 33 million
- 2018/19 – R 50 million
The city will also initiate an advertisement for the appointment of a multi-disciplinary transactional advisory team and liaison with different organs of state in fulfilment of section 33 of the Municipal Finance Management Act
The scope of works comprises of three different aspects, that is upgrading of the existing infrastructure, new treatment extensions and the procurement of new infrastructure needed for sludge handling.
A maintenance schedule has been compiled and progress will be reviewed monthly.
“Investment in expansion of wastewater treatment infrastructure is necessary to unlock growth opportunities in the city” said Moss.
The Msimanga administration is committed to ensuring that decent water is discharged to our people.