Zainul Dawood|Published
Eleven of the Mangaung Municipality's 13 wastewater treatment works are in a poor or critical condition, an oversight inspection in the Free State Province has found.
Armed security guards were urgently needed to protect vandalised and poorly maintained sewage plants in Mangaung, said Dr Jack Bloom, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS), on Monday. He was also concerned that the Mangaung municipality has a high vacancy rate at two wastewater treatment works.
On Monday, Bloom conducted an oversight visit to Mangaung to assess the progress in fixing two of the 13 wastewater treatment works that face criminal charges for polluting the environment.
Extra volume of wastewater
The Botshabelo plant is non-functional due to stolen cables and vandalised pump stations. The department said sewage flows through the plant and ends up in the Klein Modder River. Repairs costing R16.5 million are expected to be completed by the end of December, but full operation is likely only by March 2027.
The department said the Sterkwater plant was also vandalised and non-functional, with sewage that passes into the environment due to malfunctioning screw lift pumps at the inlet. Repairs costing R25 million will restore its ability to treat 20 million litres of wastewater a day in 2027, but it needs to be upgraded to treat 35 million litres a day. Bloom said the pumps will continue to break frequently as they cannot cope with the extra volume of wastewater.
“My department laid criminal charges for pollution against the Botshabelo and Sterkwater works in April and May 2025 after compliance directives were ignored. Water tests show alarmingly high levels of E. coli and ammonia,” Bloom said.
Polluted rivers and vacancies
Bloom reported that he saw firsthand the poor state of the Renosterspruit, which is heavily polluted by the Sterkwater works.
“Residents are understandably outraged by the condition of this dirty brown river that previously supported fish and wildlife. I am concerned by the persistent failure of the Mangaung Metro to spend enough money on operation and maintenance - only 2% of the asset value is spent annually on operation and maintenance, whereas 8% is required for sustainable performance,” he said.
Bloom was also concerned about the vacancy rate of 44% for Sterkwater and 65% for Botshabelo. Bloom said these vacancies need to be filled urgently to ensure these plants work at full capacity.
“There is also a severe shortage of fleet, with only one technical maintenance team responsible for all the treatment works plus 19 sewer pump stations,” Bloom said.
Turnaround strategy
Bloom said water and sanitation is being set up as a separate business unit in terms of National Treasury's Metro Trading Services Reform (MTSR) - this means that revenue will be ring-fenced to ensure it is reinvested back into water and sanitation instead of being spent elsewhere.
“I will closely monitor implementation, as further funding will be performance-based and linked to strict, independently verified operational and financial milestones. I am also advocating partnerships with private companies to produce biogas and fertiliser from sewage sludge,” Bloom said.
The department also inspected the water-filled Heidedal quarry, where children have drowned due to inadequate fencing.
“I met residents and assured them that I will do my best to resolve this tragic situation so the site can become a safe community asset. The common thread is security. Expensive upgrades can be destroyed overnight by theft and vandalism. Preventing this must be a priority,” Bloom said.
zainul.dawood@iol.co.za
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