Question NW1919 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Reply:

Yes, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has made efforts to intervene and improve the quality of drinking water in Hammanskraal including the following:

• Undertaking sampling of drinking water at the Temba Water Treatment Works (WTW) which confirmed that the drinking water is non-compliant with the drinking water standards, South African National Standards 214:2015
• Conducting investigations into the situation regarding water challenges in Hammanskraal and issued Directives to the City of Tshwane to improve the quality of drinking water supplied to the community of Hammanskraal
• Issued mutliple directives instructing City of Tshwane (CoT) to comply with the drinking water standards

It is important for the Honourable Member to note that the source of the contaminated water in Hammanskraal is the poor effluent discharged by the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) into the Apies River. The Rooiwal WWTW is overloaded, such that the effluent discharged into the Apies River is partially treated, and therefore pollutes the Apies River and the Leeukraal Dam.

The DWS also found that the CoT did not have capacity to optimally operate the Rooiwal WWTW. Subsequently, the CoT appointed East Rand Water Care Company (Erwat) to operate and upgrade the Rooiwal WWTW. Once completed, it is envisaged that the effluent discharged from the WWTW will improve. This will in turn improve the quality of water abstracted from the Temba WTW, which supplies water to Hammanskraal. The DWS will continue with compliance and enforcement processes until the CoT fully complies with effluent standards. The CoT is currently providing potable water to Hammanskraal community, using tankers.

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