(a) How is his department addressing instances where municipalities are failing in their duties in water services provision and (b) what are the details of the legal framework being utilised where municipalities fail in their mandate to ensure compliance in terms of wastewater and effluent spillages?
a) The Department of Water and Sanitation (the Department) works together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to ensure that municipalities receive the necessary support and grant funding to refurbish and maintain water and sanitation assets. Water Service Authorities (WSAs), through their Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), allocate funding for refurbishment of some of ...
(1) What (a) is the relevant financial legislation on which the conducting of the audits for the authorized package plants from 2009 to 2023 relied and (b) are the relevant legal obligations, set out in the specified legislation, on which his department did not rely to ensure that audits were conducted.
(2) (a) what is the total number of licensed wastewater treatment plants in accordance to the National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998, in (i) each province and (ii) the Republic, (b) of those licensed wastewater treatment plants, what percentage was (i) inspected and (ii) audited correctly in each year since 2009 until the latest date of which information is available in 2023, (c) how does his department assess the environmental damage that has resulted from non-compliance and (d) what actions have been taken in cases where wastewater treatment plants were found to be noncompliant with their licensing conditions
1. (a) Compliance monitoring audits are non-financial performance audits conducted to determine conformity by municipalities with the National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998. There is no direct financial legislation applicable.
(b) There were no relevant financial legal obligations involved in conducting compliance audits.
(2) (a) (i) and (ii)
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Province
|
License
|
Permit
|
General authorisation
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Exemption
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Total
|
|
Western Cape
|
33
|
11
|
37
|
3
|
84
|
|
Limpopo
|
21 ... |
Which interventions has he and/or his department made regarding the current water crisis faced by residents of (a) Machubeni Lady Frere in eMalahleni Local Municipality and (b) the 108 villages of Ngqushwa Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, which has been without safe, reliable drinking water since 2016?
a) Lady Frere (known as Cacadu) is supplied by the Machubeni Water Supply Scheme through the Macubeni Water Treatment Works (WTW). The water interruptions currently experienced are caused by ongoing power/electrical outages that resulting in reduced pumping hours from Machubeni WTW. The short-term interventions in place to ensure water availability include:
- On-going water carting to the affected areas including Cacadu town.
- A backup diesel generator ...
What (a) total number of directives have been issued against municipalities that fail to manage sewage and effluent polluting major water sources and (b)(i) is the breakdown of the directives issued in each province, (ii) are consequences thereof and (iii) followup assessments have been undertaken from 2021 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?
a) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has issued 83 directives from January 2021 to date against municipalities that have failed to manage sewage and causing pollution.
b) (i) The table below depicts a breakdown of the directives issued per province.
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Enforcement Actions taken against non-compliant Municipalities *from January 2021 to date
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|
Responsible Regional Office
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*NWA Notices Issued
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NWA Directives Issued
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|
Eastern Cape ... |
What steps of intervention has he taken to mitigate the potential risks to water treatment plants and water treatment centres from load shedding to ensure that the essential facilities continue to operate efficiently and effectively during power outages?
a) The DWS is participating in nationwide discussions to find sector wide solutions to the impact of loadshedding on delivery of water and sanitation services. This challenge requires collaboration with municipalities, water boards and ESKOM, among other institutions. DWS proposed recommendations for consideration are as follows.
- Water Boards and municipalities should maximize water treatment while electricity is available.
- Water Boards and municipalities should revise the ...
Whether he has found that the Government is now better prepared to deal with natural disasters such as the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which prompted him to call for a state of disaster to be declared in parts of Gauteng which have been hit by floods; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how and (b) what are the further relevant details?
The intensity of the flood conditions has necessitated a review of the operating rules for government water schemes to ensure that there is some level of attenuation in the impoundment areas of large dams. Cognisance is taken of the changes in weather patterns caused by climate change. The department is putting in place flood mitigation operation strategies to ensure readiness to mitigate the impact ...
(1)Whether, considering that the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations as amended (April 2017) require an EIA process through the compilation of a Basic Assessment Report and Environmental Management Programme Report to apply for a prospecting and/or mining licence in accordance with certain Acts and regulations (details furnished), he will furnish Ms A M M Weber with the water usage licence for Portions 28, 46, 72 and 73 of the farm Elandspruit 291 JS (DMRE Ref: MP 30/5/1/1/2/16326 PR) situated in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, under the Middelburg Magisterial District in Mpumalanga; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he will furnish Ms A M M Weber with the water usage licence for Portion 2 of the farm Elandspruit 291 JS (DMRE REF: MP 30/5/1/3/2/13516 MP) situated in the specified municipality in Mpumalanga; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether he will furnish Ms A M M Weber with the water usage licence for Portions 3, 11, 12 and 13 of Kernsig Twaalf Pty Ltd, in the Emakhazeni Local Municipality in Mpumalanga; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The DWS has no records of water use registration nor authorisation for the properties in question.
2. The DWS has no records of water use registration nor authorisation for the property in question.
3. The DWS has no records of water use registration nor authorisation for the properties in question.
The department will investigate whether there is unlawful use of water at the properties ...
What measures has his department taken to address the challenge of boreholes that were drilled in the Mopani District Municipality, but that are non-operational because they have not been powered by Eskom?
The Mopani District Municipality has the responsibility of developing and maintaining water and sanitation services infrastructure within its area of jurisdiction as a Water Service Authority (WSA). The Department of Water and Sanitation is supporting the Municipality through various programmes to ensure infrastructure is developed for the efficient provision of water services to communities. This support is provided through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant ...
What is the current update regarding the completion of the Giyani Water Project, specifically in terms of the reticulation of water to reservoirs and households of the 55 villages?
The Giyani Water Project comprises of three different but interlinked projects namely Nandoni-Nsami Pipeline (Giyani Water Project); Giyani Water Services (reticulation to reservoirs) and Reticulation to 55 villages.
The overall progress for the Nandoni-Nsami Pipeline (Giyani Water) Project is 72%. The 40 km pipeline has been completed. The remaining work includes permanent river crossings, chambers, and pressure testing. Water is being pumped from the ...
What measures has his department put in place to ensure that the water treatment plant which was opened by the former President, Mr J G Zuma, in the Mopani District Municipality in 2014 which is no longer operational as it only worked for four days and then stopped operating, is fully operational?
The Giyani Water Treatment Works (WTW) was upgraded by the Mopani District Municipality (DM) through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding administered by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). That component of the WTW functioned briefly after completion but was subsequently shut down due to structural defects at the pump station. The Mopani DM is handling the matter internally to in ...
