The Sedibeng Regional Sewer Scheme (SRSS) is set solve the sanitation challenges of residents living in the Sedibeng District Municipality as well as create jobs.

Speaking at a public engagement at Soul Tsotetsi Hall in Sebokeng, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said over the next three years, the project will bring solutions to raw sewage spillage and provide skills development opportunities for the local residents.

The Minister on Tuesday informed the residents on the progress around the SRSS project.

The SRSS, which has been identified by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Council (PICC) in 2005, was approved as a Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIP) 18 catalytic project.

The project has been broken down into three stages of implementation, including short-term, medium-term and long-term interventions.

The short-term solution entails the refurbishment of the existing infrastructure in Emfuleni and Midvaal Local Municipalities to reduce the occurrence of spillages of raw sewage, while consistently maintaining better effluent quality from the Waste-Water Treatment Works (WWTWs).

The medium-term solution entails the extension of the existing waste-water infrastructure in both municipalities to address under capacity of the WWTWs, while the long-term solution entails the construction of a new WWTW around the Sedibeng District Municipality.

Minister Mokonyane said the project will create not less than 6000 job opportunities for residents, especially the youth.

“We are not going to have everybody employed at the same time, people will be employed in stages,” she said.

Rand Water has been appointed to manage the project and would appoint sub-contractors to assist in the project.