Just hours after an article on the dire state of some of Buffalo City Metro’s water and wastewater treatment plants was published in the Dispatch, a high-level delegation from the city was pressed into action on Wednesday.
The delegation, led by mayor Princess Faku, conducted oversight visits to some of the facilities to “assess operational capacity, infrastructure needs and progress on ongoing upgrades”.
The delegation included mayoral committee members Yomelela Tyali, infrastructure and engineering; Clara Yekiso-Morolong, community services; and Amanda Mnyute, public safety.
Others in the group were acting water and sanitation department head Mkhuseli Nongogo and other senior municipal officials, as well as councillors Nozibele Tshabe, Pearl Hansen and Mayihlome Mcako.
The Dispatch was barred from joining the tour, with city spokesperson Bongani Fuzile saying the oversight visit was an “internal programme”.
But after the visit to the Umzonyana water treatment works and Reeston wastewater treatment works, Faku said that “water infrastructure is the backbone of our metro’s economy, public health and dignity”.
“Without efficient water treatment works, our communities and businesses cannot thrive,” she said.
She then committed to “prioritise water infrastructure as a cornerstone of service delivery”.
Only four of the metro’s 15 wastewater treatment work plants are fully operational, with many of the plants vandalised and out of service.
Just three of the plants have valid water use licences, with the others having expired.
The only fully operational plants are the East Bank plant in Nahoon, Quinera in Gonubie and the oxidation ponds at Kidd’s Beach and Kaysers Beach.
Of the metro’s 96 pump stations in the vandalised plants, 27 are non-operational.
Eight plants in the metro’s jurisdiction are reportedly partially operational, after some of their components were vandalised.
Faku said visits such as those undertaken on Wednesday were important because “they allow us to see the challenges first-hand and commit to immediate interventions”.
The Umzonyana and Reeston facilities are central to meeting the water needs of East London, Mdantsane, Reeston and surrounding areas, with 60% of BCM water coming from Umzonyana.
Fuzile said these plants were tasked with treating and supplying millions of litres of water daily, ensuring that residents had access to safe drinking water.
“During the engagement, officials at Umzonyana highlighted the urgent need for operational vehicles to support daily maintenance, repairs and rapid response to faults.
“The shortage of vehicles has put pressure on existing teams and affected turnaround times in addressing water-related service requests.
“In response, mayor Faku confirmed the municipality’s commitment to support the provision of additional vehicles and staffing resources to strengthen operational capacity and security.
“She said the city cannot allow essential infrastructure to be undermined by avoidable operational constraints, adding that her office will ensure that the provision of vehicles and staff support is prioritised.”
Fuzile said their visit also formed part of their ongoing engagements with Infrastructure SA (ISA), to explore funding support for water infrastructure projects in the metro.
“Without getting into details of the required ISA support, the mayor emphasised the importance of getting funding from the outside to finish a number of these projects.
“She said the Umzonyana WTW, which was built in 1922, needed to be modernised and expanded for the BCM population.”
Fuzile said Faku had stressed the importance of integrated planning to ensure that infrastructure investments kept pace with urban growth.
“This includes upgrading old infrastructure, improving water efficiency, and ensuring operational readiness through adequate staffing, vehicles and technical tools.
“She further noted that effective water management is not just about treatment capacity but also about reducing water losses, combating illegal connections and promoting responsible water use among residents,” Fuzile said.
While visits to some of these facilities have highlighted a lack of security measures, resulting in the vandalism of many of the plants, a leaked BCM report indicates that about R464m was required for security improvements and repairs to the city’s 15 wastewater plants.
About R101m was required for security improvements and vandalism repairs to the metro’s 96 sewage pump stations, 27 of which are vandalised and non-operational.
Daily Dispatch
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