The Department of Water and Sanitation says towns under the Setsoto Local Municipality will no longer be forced to deal with overflowing sewerage running through the streets.
This is because its construction unit, based in Standerton, is in the process of procuring bulk sewer pipelines for the towns of Setsoto under the Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) Bucket Eradication Programme. According to the department the towns, which already have newly constructed toilet structures and internal reticulation, are only missing bulk sewer pipelines. The news could not have come at a better time for these communities as the world observes World Toilet Day and raises issues around the importance of access to adequate sanitation.Eliminating health hazards
The bulk sewer pipelines will come with pumping stations that will pump the sewerage to an already constructed Waste Water Treatment Works. The department says work on the project will be done by its own construction unit, which will employ local labourers, in a bid to save time and money. After construction, the operations and maintenance will then be handed over to the municipality.“This work will relieve local communities of the spillages which cause foul smells and create a hazardous environment for small children,” explains Ziyanda Xokozela, Sanitation Manager of DWS Free State.
