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[FILE] Wastewater Treatment Works, where raw sewage is streaming into the river.
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Sello Seitlholo has called on Gauteng municipalities to prioritise the improvement of wastewater treatment infrastructure, citing it as a major contributor to water pollution in the province.
Seitlholo highlighted the deteriorating condition of wastewater treatment plants, which he said are overloading systems and causing frequent failures at pump stations, as well as sewer leaks that endanger water resources across Gauteng, particularly its dams.
“Gauteng alone, and its municipalities discharge an estimated 160 million litres of raw sewage into our water resources, particularly in the context of the Vaal River system and this is a huge problem over the years,” he stated.
Seitlholo also noted that the Blue Drop certification program, which monitors drinking water quality, was decommissioned in 2014 and only reinstated in 2022/2023, with sanitation infrastructure reportedly declining since its initial removal.
