Thabiso Goba21 November 2024 | 17:34

Mogale City Municipality needs over R150 million to fix dysfunctional wastewater treatment plant

The plant is at the heart of a water pollution crisis in the West Rand municipality.

Mogale City Municipality needs over R150 million to fix dysfunctional wastewater treatment plant

Mogale City water pollution. Picture: Thabiso Goba/ Eyewitness News

JOHANNESBURG - The Mogale City Municipality needs over R150 million to fix its dysfunctional Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The plant is at the heart of a water pollution crisis in the West Rand municipality.

The city’s rivers are black, with little to no signs of marine life due to sewage leaks.

READ: Fears that Cradle of Humankind may lose World Heritage Site status due to water pollution in Mogale City

The dysfunctional plant is tasked with treating domestic and industrial waste from the northern suburbs of Krugersdorp, Sterkfontein and Mill Site.

At a recent parliamentary oversight meeting, the Mogale City Municipality presented its short and long-term plan to fix the Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant.

A report presented to Parliament showed the infrastructure at the 54-year-old plant was in a state of decline.

The municipality said that an emergency plan to get the plant working would cost R21 million.

However, the overall refurbishment of the plant would cost R150 million and take 12 months to complete.