Deputy Minister Mahlobo commits the Department to fully support Madibeng Local Municipality to ensure quality water supply
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr. David Mahlobo (MP) has instructed the Department’s North West Regional Office to increase its support to Madibeng Local Municipality to fast track the refurbishment of Brits Water Treatment Works.
He said this during his follow up visit to the area on Friday, 24 April 2020, to assess progress made to date following his last visit to Brits late in March.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo’s visit followed up tip offs that he received by alleged poor water quality being supplied to Madibeng community due to Brits Water Treatment Works’ inability to work optimally.
The capacity of the Brits Water Treatment Works (WTW) is currently being upgraded from 60 to 80 megaliters per day and Magalies Water is the appointed implementing agent.
When he visited the area today, Deputy Minister Mahlobo met with Madibeng Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Jostine Mothibe who indicated that there has been an improvement in the Brits Water Treatment Works.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo implored Magalies Water, Madibeng Local Municipality and Department to work hand and glove to ensure that Brits Water Treatment Works is restored and functions optimally to meet the needs of the community.
“We cannot allow a situation where community members are supplied with substandard water due to our inability to work together when we experience challenges. We owe this community a great deal and this needs to be treated with a sense of urgency it deserves”, he emphasised.
However, Cllr Mothibe stated that the community of Madibeng is not happy with the intermittent water cuts which are a result of the construction phases carried out and refurbishment.
The biggest challenge to the Brits WTW is the quality of water received at abstraction point from the Hartbeespoort Dam.
The water is rich in nutrients and part of the upgrade work is the introduction of pre-treatment using an Ozone system to oxidise the algae, and this will ease the pressure off the filters. The quality of the water received from upstream drives up the treatment price.