Local Government, Environ-mental Affairs and Development Planning
With reference to an article published on 3 November 2020 in the Cape Argus (page 4, “State of water treatment plants revealed”) in which the national Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation indicates that 265 wastewater treatment works across the country are in a state of decay:
- (1)(a) How many of these sites are in the Western Cape and (b) where are they located;
- (2) whether the Western Cape municipalities received support or grant funding to refurbish the wastewater treatment plants; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) what is the overall amount of the funding;
- (3) how many projects are (a) underway to refurbish the wastewater treatment plants in the province, (b) not taking place and (c) in their initiation phase;
- (4) whether there are any wastewater treatment plants in the province that are being upgraded besides those that are being refurbished; if so, what are the relevant details?
(1)(a) There are 10 Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTWs) in the Western Cape Province that do not comply with their Water Use License conditions.
(b) The WWTWs that require upgrading/refurbishment in order to comply with these conditions are shown in Table 1 below.
DISTRICT | WATER SERVICES AUTHORITY | NAME OF WWTW |
Central Karoo | Laingsburg LM | Laingsburg |
Cape Winelands | Stellenbosch LM | Pniel |
Langeberg LM | Robertson | |
Garden Route | Kannaland LM | Zoar |
Overberg | Cape Agulhas LM | Arniston |
Napier | ||
Swellendam LM | Barrydale | |
West Coast | Matzikama LM | Ebenezer |
Metro | City of Cape Town | Mitchell’s Plain |
Cape Flats |
Table 1: WWTW that requires attention
(2) Yes.
(a) Maintenance and refurbishment of WWTWs is the primary responsibility of Local Authorities. However, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) works together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), as well as the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), to ensure that Municipalities receive the necessary support and grant funding to refurbish and maintain their assets.
Water Service Authorities (WSAs), through their Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), have allocated funding for refurbishment of some of these WWTW. DWS also funds certain refurbishment and upgrading projects that meet the criteria of the different funding programs such as the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG). Some of the specified WWTWs have gradually been included in these programs, depending on the funds allocated to the Province.
The Department of Local Government (DLG), manage and assist municipalities with the MIG funding allocations and project implementation in the Western Cape Province.
Refer to Table 2 for WWTWs funded by DWS (RBIG/WSIG) and MIG for refurbishment/upgrading as a measure to improve the performance of the WWTWs and the quality of the final effluent discharged into the water resource.
Refer to Table 3 for WWTWs upgraded by the City of Cape Town.
MUNICIPALITY /WSA | NAME OF WWTW | FUNDING INTERVENTIONS
| GRANT |
Central Karoo | |||
Beaufort West | Murraysburg | Upgrade of the WWTW infrastructure. MIG funding | 11 432 435 |
Prince Albert | Klaarstroom | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works: Oxidation Ponds in Klaarstroom, project value = R4.653 million, project is completed. MIG funding. | 4 052 000 |
Garden Route | |||
Knysna | Knysna | WWTW conversion of SBR to a Nutrient Removal Plant. Project value = R12.816 million, currently under construction, completion in 2020/2021 financial year. MIG funding. | 8 465 000 |
Mossel Bay | Hartenbos | Rehabilitate Regional Wastewater Treatment Works. Project value = R31.993 million, currently under construction, 40% completed, completion in 2021/2022 financial year. MIG funding | 23 994 000 |
Kannaland | Ladismith | New Wastewater Treatment Works in Ladismith, project value = R23 million, the project is 50% completed but due to escalation over an extended period of time, the original scope of works could not be completed. MIG funding. DWS has also committed RBIG funding to the project. | 14 687 000 |
Hessequa | Riversdal | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works, project value = R38.8 million, project is 55% completed, construction to be completed in 2021/2022 financial year. MIG funding. | 27 212 000 |
George | Outeniqua | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works, approved project value = R73.99 million, civil works has been completed to the value of R55 million, which relates to 76% completion of the original project. The scope of works has been increased from 5 Ml/day to 10 Ml/day and project value from R73.99 million to R210 million. MIG funding. | 73 990 000 |
Oudtshoorn | Dysselsdorp | Refurbish & Upgrade Wastewater Treatment, project value = R17.181 million, project is 60% completed, construction will be completed in 2021/2022 financial year. MIG funding. | 17 181 000 |
Oudtshoorn | Rehabilitate Wastewater Plant: Biological Nutrient Reactor, project value = R5.426 million, construction is 50% completed and will be completed in 2020/2021 financial year. MIG funding. | 4 053 000 | |
Overberg | |||
Cape Agulhas | Bredasdorp | Rehabilitate Wastewater Treatment Works, project value = R42.082 million, project currently under construction and will be completed in 2021/2022. MIG funding. | 14 698 000 |
Theewaters-kloof | Caledon | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works, project value = R55.855 million, project currently under construction, construction will be completed in 2021/2022 financial year. MIG funding. | 30 411 000 |
Greyton | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works, project value = R23.829 million, MIG project to commence in 2020/2021 financial year and be completed in 2021/2022 financial year. MIG funding. | 18 110 000 | |
Swellendam | Barrydale | Upgrade Wastewater Treatment Works through MIG funding | 632 428 |
West Coast | |||
Matzikama | Vredendal South | Upgrade of Vredendal Sewer Pump Station Phase1: Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Upgrades for Master treads and Koelbly Pump station. WSIG funding | 4 550 000 |
Ebenaezer | Refurbishment of pump station, modification of slow sand filters and stabilization tanks and new chemical dozing. MIG funding. | 2 728 000
| |
Cederberg | Citrusdal | Funds availed from the MIG and COVID-19 Funding to complete the new WWTW. To be equipped with mechanical and electrical components in order to be commissioned in 2021 to replace the old works. | 11 175 146 (MIG) 9 000 000 (COVID-19 Fund) |
Bergrivier | Porterville | Refurbishment of existing infrastructure through RBIG funding | 8 190 000
|
TOTAL
| 284 561 009 | ||
Table 2: Funding by DWS & MIG to various projects (Excluding CoCT)
WSA | WWTW | PROJECT DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT |
City of Cape Town
| Zandvliet WWTW
| The WWTW is undergoing an upgrade to increase treatment capacity to cater for volumes and organic loads. | 1 900 000 000
|
Scottsdene WWTW
| The WWTW is undergoing an upgrade to increase treatment capacity to cater for volumes and organic loads. |
42 200 000
| |
Potsdam WWTW
| The WWTW is undergoing an upgrade to increase treatment capacity to cater for volumes and organic loads. | 2 200 000 000
| |
TOTAL
| 4 142 200 000
| ||
Table 3: City of Cape Town projects
(b) Total amount of funding allocated to municipalities, excluding City of
Cape Town during 2020/21, was R 284.6 million as per table 2 above.
(3)(a) Number of projects underway to be upgraded/refurbished is, 17 as per table 2 above.
(b) Number of projects not started yet, or not taking place yet, is 9 as per Table 1 above.
(c) Number of projects in the initiation phase is 4 namely:
1. Langeberg: MIG application has been submitted for upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Works in Robertson, project value = R55.721 million, MIG value = R38.447 million (project has not yet been approved).
2. Mossel Bay: MIG application has been submitted for capacity increase of Pinnacle Point WWTW, project value = R52.692 million, MIG value = R38.992 million, construction to commence in 2021/2022 (project has not yet been approved).
3. Theewaterskloof: MIG application has been submitted for the upgrading of the Botrivier wastewater treatment works, project value = R15.5 million, MIG value = R12.716 million (project has not yet been approved.
4. Theewaterskloof: MIG application has been submitted for Upgrade of the wastewater treatment works in Riviersonderend, project value = R14.649 million, MIG value = R12 million (project has not yet been approved).
(4) It is not possible to distinguish between refurbishment and upgrading of the various plants. Number of projects underway to be upgraded/refurbished is 17 as per table 2 above.
