[pic]
Enquiries: Ms DG Mochotlhi
Telephone: 012Â 336 7255
Reference: 2/1/5/1
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: QUESTION 2111 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
A draft reply to the above question asked by Mr I O Davidson (DA) is
attached for your consideration.
ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
DRAFT REPLY APPROVED/AMENDED
MRS B E E MOLEWA, MP
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
DATE:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 2111
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 AUGUST 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 23)
2111. Mr I O Davidson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and
Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether, with reference to the results of the 2011 Green Drop
Report where they pertain to the Mkhondo Local Municipality, the
municipality has submitted its corrective action plan; if not,
why not; if so, on what date was it submitted;
(2) whether the report is available to the public; if not, why not; if
so, what (a) are the relevant details of the plan and (b) has
been the response of the Department of Water to the plan;
(3) what are the key challenges that the Department of Water have
identified that the Mkhondo Local Municipality needs to overcome
in order to improve the performance of its wastewater treatment
works? NW2385E
---00O00---
REPLY:
(1) Yes. The corrective action plan was submitted on 12 August 2011.
(2) Yes. The report is available to the public.
(2)(a) The main areas of the action plan to be addressed by the
Mkhondo Local Municipality are: the lack of expertise to
undertake operational and maintenance (O&M) work for all
treatment plants is a major cause for the breakdown of
mechanical equipment Waste Treatment Works (WWTWs). The
Municipality has recently appointed a Senior Manager for water
and sanitation who is an Engineer by profession to address the
O&M issues.
The second main problem is the lack of skilled operators to
effectively and efficiently operate the sewer treatment works.
Four (4) of the sewer treatment plant controllers are in an
internship programme funded by Local Government Sector Education
and Training Authority (LGseta), which is facilitated and
implemented by the Department. The municipality has also set
aside R 320Â 000 to train 16 additional process controllers.
The third issue is funding for infrastructure and the good news is
that there are plans currently underway to refurbish the
Amsterdam WWTW and this will be funded by the Gert Sibande
District Municipality. In addition to this, there is an
allocation of R 2 Million for fencing the municipal water and
waste water treatment facilities and the Municipality is also in
the process of appointing a security contractor to safeguard
both the water and waste water treatment facilities against
vandalism.
-2-
(2)(b) The RRU will allocate a specialist to investigate the
challenges facing the Municipality and remedial actions required
to turnaround the situation and this will be compared or further
inform the findings and actions of the Municipality.
Furthermore, the regional office of the Department in Mpumalanga
is planning to train municipal staff on the usage of the Green
Drop System.
(3) There are a full two pages (p 277 and 278) in the Green Drop
Report devoted to the many problems identified at the two WWTWs
under control of this Municipality. The key challenges as
identified are the need to ensure that operations and
maintenance are adequately prioritised and budgeted for,
improving skills levels of the process controllers and the
prioritisation by politicians and officials of the overall
management of waste water services according to the requirements
set by the Green Drop certification program.
---00O00---