The Sedibeng Regional Sewer Scheme (SRSS) is expected to bring much needed relief for residents living in the Sedibeng District Municipality.

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 is expected to bring solutions to raw sewage spillage, unlock job opportunities and improve service delivery in the Sedibeng District Municipality area.

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.

Mokonyane said the project will create not less than 6 000 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.

Mokonyane urged subcontractors who will be working in the project to prove themselves that they can do the work.

“We need to empower the community where the project is taking place so that they understand the nature of the project. Issues of us being professional in the work we are doing is important,” the Minister told residents.

She also reminded residents that the jobs were not permanent and people should use them to learn the skills so that when an opportunity arises they would be ready to take on new jobs.

She said the project managers should ensure that they leave people with the necessary skills to find jobs.

Themba Msukwini from Sebokeng Zone 13 said with the project coming to Sedibeng, people will now be able to get low cost houses with a proper sewer system which is currently a huge problem.

“Before you can build low cost houses, you need a sewer system and through this project people will have houses with proper basic services.

“This project will also give the community jobs for a certain period of time, where they will acquire skills development like plumbing as the area has a problem of leakages,” said Msukwini.