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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is probing the dire state of the Homevale Waste Water Treatment Plant following concerns raised regarding an agreement between Sol Plaatje municipality and a private company for the upkeep and maintenance of the plant.

An oversight inspection to the plant by myself, Cllr Ockert Fourie and Cllr Wesley van Rooyen last week, found the old plant in disrepair. One of the four clarifiers was covered in reeds and sludge. Cable theft on site is also preventing power from reaching the facility.

The new plant is barely functional. Grit is not filtered out of the water. Due to mixers not working optimally, nutrients like ammonia are not entirely removed from the effluent. Only one of the two clarifiers is working. Two digestors are not operational, causing treated waste water to be pumped from the station mixed with untreated effluent, posing significant health risks to the community and the environment. Scum pumps are out of order. Only one of the two screw pumps is working, of which the previous breakdown of both caused sewage build up along the N12.

The facility is further only treating 15 megalitres as opposed to 33 megalitres per day. The dewatering plant has never been used, despite being five years old. Five brand new skips that were placed at the dewatering plant to help catch solid by-products, have also been left to rust.

In addition to the multitude of problems identified, security at the facility is insufficient, placing millions of rands of assets at risk. There are also only about five staff working per shift, two of whom are provided by the private company. This is in stark contrast to previous years, when 20 people were on duty per shift. There is no doubt that the shortage of staff and lack of expertise contributes to the grim state of the plant.

The situation is a disaster in motion for a city that is already drowning in sewage. It also raises many questions pertaining to the value of the public private partnership entered into and also its obvious failure to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the plant. The DA will be tabling questions at the next council meeting as we continue to probe this matter.

Issued by Chris Whittaker, Cllr - Sol Plaatje Municipality