Question NW3551 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
13 December 2023 - NW3551
Mohlala, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
What specific plans have been developed by his department to address the severe environmental impact caused by the poor quality of effluent discharged into the rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater due to inadequate wastewater treatment processes?
Reply:
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) issues notices and directives where pollution incidents are detected or reported. These provide for conditions of remediation and rehabilitation. Once wastewater reaches lakes, wetlands and especially groundwater it becomes very difficult for remediation to address the pollution.
Pursuant to the release of the 2022 Green Drop report, the DWS required Water Services Authorities with wastewater collection and treatment systems in a critical state, to develop corrective action plans to the Department. These plans will be monitored for implementation through a dashboard developed as part of the Water Services Improvement Plan (WSIP). The Department has also collaborated with the South African Loal Government Association (SALGA) and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) to assist municipalities with the development of action plans, in ensuring that the management of the wastewater treatment plants improves.
In addition, DWS has developed a Eutrophication management strategy to address issues related to the degradation of water resources due to excessive nutrient enrichment. The strategy will provide the country with appropriate direction on how eutrophication should be controlled and managed. Rehabilitation management guidelines have been developed to establish the status quo and integrate various initiatives and practices regarding rehabilitation management for water resources (rivers, wetlands, estuaries, lakes, dams, and groundwater).
Catchment mitigation strategies and plans are also being developed for mine water and wastewater treatment works to respond to mine water and/ or wastewater (sewage) impacts in priority catchments, with an emphasis on sulphate salinity and metals in mine water; and nutrients (nitrates and/ or phosphates and / or microbiological (coliform bacteria) indicators in wastewater (sewage).
The Department has gazetted Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs), a framework to monitor compliance to the RQOs was developed and implemented in the Financial Year 2021/22 and the Department continues to monitor compliance thereof.
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