The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo, has raised concern about a delay to finalise the R220 million project to upgrade Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), which resumed in 2017. He highlighted this during his oversight visit at the WWTW in Midvaal Local Municipality, within the Sedibeng District, as part of ongoing efforts to address critical sanitation challenges.

The Deputy Minister was accompanied by Rand Water Chief Executive Officer, Sipho Mosai, Alderman Peter Teixeira, Executive Mayor of Midvaal Local Municipality, Cllr Lerato Maloka Executive Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality, and the Chairperson of the Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency (VOCMA), Desmond Fransman.

Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Works project was funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation through its Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant. With Rand Water appointed as the implementing agent, the project is meant to improve sanitation services and ensure that the effluent treated at the plant meets the required standards.

So far, two phases of the project have been completed, but the third phase which will expand the plant’s capacity from yielding 10 megalitres per day (ml/d) to 25 ml/d is still underway.

Deputy Minister Seitlholo raised serious concerns over delays of the project and warned that ongoing failures in wastewater management will threaten the municipality’s water resources, and for the entire country. However, Rand Water has committed to complete the project within the current financial year.

Project delays have been attributed to contractor cash flow constraints, payment challenges, and persistent rainfall, which has disrupted construction. Rand Water has since implemented recovery measures, including resolving payment issues, re-engaging subcontractors, and accelerating construction activities to recover lost time. The water utility further noted that sanitation challenges are not only limited to Midvaal but affect the broader Sedibeng District.

Beyond concerns about project delays, Deputy Minister Seitlholo has also emphasised the importance of safeguarding water resources as a critical component of the water value chain. “If we do not take care of the value chain, how are we going to secure the quality of the end of the value chain? How are we going to give people clean drinking water?” said the Deputy Minister, speaking fervently about the need to protect the country’s water resources. He explained that water resources form the foundation of the entire value chain and stressed that maintaining the cleanliness of these resources is just as essential as ensuring the quality of the final product – safe, clean water delivered to households.

“I am concerned about the beginning of water value chain and this has propelled me to engage with stakeholders in the country on how to fundamentally get to a point where our water resources, tributaries, rivers, and dams are not being infiltrated by millions of litres of raw sewerage every day,” said the Deputy Minister, underscoring his commitment to the protection of water resources.

Deputy Minister Seitlholo further said that the improvement of water value chain at infrastructure level with a completed upgrade of Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Works will, significantly improve sanitation services for communities including Rothdene, Meyerton, Rustervaal, Sicelo Shiceka informal settlement, and the surrounding industries.

The Department of Water and Sanitation maintains that the oversight visits are essential to hold implementing agents accountable, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure that infrastructure projects deliver tangible benefits to communities without further delay.