Tshwane Mayor to assess Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant upgrades

JOHANNESBURG - Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya is scheduled to visit the Rooiwaal wastewater treatment plant on Thursday morning to assess its upgrades.

The plant is a major purification facility designed to treat sewage water and distribute it to households in Hammanskraal. 

However, it has been ineffective for years, resulting in residents being unable to drink water from their taps.

Two years ago, a cholera outbreak in the township claimed the lives of dozens of people due to the contaminated water supplied by the city.

A joint venture involving a company owned by controversial businessman Edwin Sodi was awarded a R295 million tender to upgrade the Rooiwaal wastewater treatment plant but failed to complete the work.

Following the cholera outbreak in the township, the city of Tshwane and the national government revived the project to upgrade the plant.

Upgrades resumed last year with phase 1 a - which focuses on completing the previous contractor's unfinished work.

This phase is expected to be completed by the end of January, after which phase 1-b will begin, which involves refurbishing the plant.

In the meantime, large parts of Hammanskraal still lack access to clean drinking water, with upgrades only scheduled to be completed in 2026.

A temporary wastewater treatment plant was recently unveiled, but it currently provides clean drinking water to only a small portion of the community.

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