DWS again threatens legal action on spillage

IT COULD soon be government against government in court over a district municipality’s apparent failure to solve a problem causing recurring spillage of raw sewage into farms and communities’ streets.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has threatened to launch a second court action against the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality over a sewage spillage issue that has plagued communities and farms since 2017.

Raw sewage is a common feature in North West province in communities such as Hududi township, Vryburg suburb and nearby farms. The communities also battle an erratic water supply.

At the centre of their problems is the state of the Vryburg Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW).

Last September, the department obtained an order from the North West High Court that directed the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality to manage the WWTW properly.

The order, granted by Judge Tebogo Djadje, also directed the district municipality to ensure that raw sewage was no longer emitted into communities and farms.

The district municipality also had to take remedial steps to stop the pollution of water resources, Judge Djadje ruled.

Before being dragged to court last year, the district municipality was served with a statutory directive to address the sewage problem. The directive came from the DWS.

Raw sewage had continued to spill into communities despite the court order and directive, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said in a written reply to parliamentary questions this week.

“The DWS conducted inspections during May 2021 and found that the situation has not improved despite the undertakings in the action plan submitted by the municipality,” said Sisulu.

“Given the non-compliance with the directive and the court order, the department will proceed with additional legal action to ensure that the municipality implements corrective action.”

The department appears to have been mulling the legal action since November.

A statement it issued then said the district municipality faced being in contempt of court due to ongoing sewage spillages.

It said officials observed during a visit that sewage still flowed in Hududi’s streets, and that effluent discharged into the Blesbokspruit had not been properly treated.

Officials also observed that a furrow was dug to channel the raw sewage into the open environment, “which may cause health hazards for the community”.

“These incidents have proven that Dr Ruth Segomotsi District Municipality has failed to comply with the directives issued by the department, and has also failed to abide by the court order issued,” the department said last November.

The department said it had previously provided R80 million for the upgrade of water and sanitation services in the affected areas.

Joseph Motlhasedi, the district municipality’s spokesperson, would not comment yesterday on whether raw sewage still flowed into communities.

He said he would first have to get an update from technical specialists.

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