Question NW3676 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Reply:

1.  The Renosterberg Local Municipality (LM) requested support from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and The Northern Cape Department of CoGHSTA regarding urgent repairs and maintenance of its sewer reticulation system and pump stations. This assistance was required due to financial obligations and constraints that the municipality was experiencing.

A condition assessment was conducted by DWS, MISA and CoGHSTA and based on this assessment, the following scope of work indicated in the table below was finalised to rectify the sewer infrastructure challenges:

ITEM	REPAIRS OF SET'UER PUMPSTATIONS IN VANDERKLOOF
1	Main Pumpstation 36kW Gorman Rupp: Repairs on the Electrical Panel
2	Repair of Minor Sewer Pumpstation 11kW (x2) Hidrostal (Electrical and Mechanical Repairs) - Suikerbossie Street
3	Repair of Minor Sewer Pumpstation 11kW (x2) Hidrostal {Electrical and Mechanical Repairs} - Nature Reserve Street

The abovementioned repairs could not be funded through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) of the DWS, with the exception for the level control switches for both pumps which were priced at R 150 000. Funding was allocated by DWS for this work.

The Northern Cape Department of CoGHSTA allocated R1 million for the required work. The Request for Quotation was issued by CoGHSTA during August 2022 for the repairs of the sewer pumpstations in Vanderkloof and work was completed by December 2022.

DWS assisted in monitoring of the works together with the CoGHSTA office. Retention work to the level control system was done during October 2022 and additional maintenance to the main pumpstation seals was done by the Renosterberg LM during October 2023.

2. Regulatory actions taken by the DWS to ensure that the Renosterberg Local Municipality complies with requirements for wastewater management include the following:

• The DWS issued notices of intent and Directives to the Renosterberg LM for spillages from the pumpstation and discharges from the Vanderkloof Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW).
• A Notice of intention to issue a directive in terms of Sections19(1) and 53(1) of the NWA was issued to municipality, on 24 November 2018. No response was received by DWS in relation to the notice issued.
• A directive issued 5 February 2019 requiring rectification of pollution activities as discharges from pumpstations and the Vanderkloof WWTW into the Vanderkloof dam. There were requirements to stop pollution and improve operation and maintenance. The municipality partially rectified operation and maintenance issues and waste discharges.
• There were complaints received by DWS from members of the public about accumulated to sewer discharges from 2 pumpstations and the Vanderkloof WWTW into the Vanderkloof dam from the beginning of March 2022. Verbal communication with municipal officials and investigation of the Vanderkloof pumpstations and WWTW on 23 December 2021 and during 18-22 March 2022 indicated discharges from the two pumpstations on the Vanderkloof dam had created algal blooms in March 2022. The Municipality indicated that the pumps were not pumping and discharging to the dam. The LM was in the process of refurbishing the pumpstations but are experiencing procurement challenges due to financial status of Renosterberg LM. AS an interim measure, the sewerage was pumped and trucked to the WWTW by the municipality.
• Another directive was issued by DWS in March 2022 for the municipality to stop the spillages and rectify the infrastructure.

A MISA report issued in April 2022 confirmed infrastructure deficiencies. A site inspection conducted by CoGHSTA also reached the same conclusion as the DWS investigations that the Vanderkloof WWTW and associated pump stations are contaminating groundwater resources and polluting the Vanderkloof Dam.

The municipality informed DWS of challenges experienced with the WWTW and pumpstations. The municipality indicated that its accounts were frozen due to outstanding Eskom debt and therefore no funds could be accessed to implement the corrective actions and comply with the DWS directives. However, the account was unfrozen as per the court ruling in May 2022. Afterwards, the DWS instructed the municipality to submit a corrective plant of action with clear time frames to address non-compliance on 22 June 2022. The plan is addressed as indicated in (1) above.

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