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EdST Enquiries: MJ Musekene
Telephone: 013 759 7313
Reference: 6/2/1/1
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES: QUESTION 239 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
A draft reply to the above question asked by Mr V M Manzini (DA-Mpumalanga)
is attached for your consideration.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
DRAFT REPLY APPROVED/AMENDED
MRS B E E MOLEWA, MP
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
DATE:
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 239
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 18 MAY 2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 13)
239. Mr V M Manzini (DA-Mpumalanga) to ask the Minister of Water and
Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether she has been informed that the sewage (a) plants in the
Nkomazi Municipality are dysfunctional and (b) waters flow into
the surrounding rivers; if not, what is the position in this
regard; if so,
(2) whether an investigation will be conducted into the matter; if
not, why not; if so, when;
(3) whether she has taken any action to remedy the situation; if
not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW335E
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REPLY:
(1) Yes, the Department is aware that the Nkomazi Local Municipality
is struggling to effectively manage its sewage plants and the
Department conducted an investigation into the matter and the
findings thereof are part of the 2012 Green Drop Progress
Report.
The Department Regional Office: Mpumalanga together with the
Inkomati Catchment Management Agency are supporting and
enforcing compliance to remedy the state of sewage plants in the
Nkomazi Local Municipality, hence the following measures are
being implemented:
⢠The funding of the refurbishment of Schoemansdal and Tonga
Oxidation Ponds as part of the Water Services Operating
Subsidy Grant under schedule 6 of the Division of Revenue
Act. The total amount of R376 200.00 and R336 000.00 was
spent on the refurbishment of the Schoemansdal and Tonga
Oxidation Ponds in 2010 respectively. The Department has
further allocated R4, 720 million in the 2012/13 financial
year on Schedule 6 of the Division of Revenue Act to assist
the Nkomazi Local Municipality with the refurbishment of
sewage and water plants.
⢠All the sewage and water treatment plants under the Nkomazi
Local Municipality were classified as per regulation 2834.
This classification is necessary to determine the competency
levels of the operators and sewage treatment plants.
⢠The training of five Process Controllers within the Nkomazi
Local Municipality
(of which one operate sewage treatment plants) to be able to
have the competency to operate the sewage treatment plants
optimally has been conducted in conjunction with the Energy
and Water Sector Education Training Authority.
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⢠The compliance monitoring samples are taken to check the
compliance levels of the effluent that is discharged into
rivers. The final effluent is being monitored for the three
wastewater treatment plants namely Hectorspruit, Mhlati Kop,
Komatipoort.
⢠To date, four notices and one directive have been issued
linked to the sewage treatment plants of the Nkomazi Local
Municipality. Criminal charges linked to pollution of water
resources have been investigated by the Tonga South African
Police Services (SAPS) since November 2009 under CAS
118/11/2009 and the matter is pending with the SAPS and the
Barberton Court.
(2) Falls away.
(3) Falls away.
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