Bloom declares battle against water infrastructure decay
'They rushed a repair to the three-year leak at the Dan Pienaarville reservoir that's wasted R5 million of water, but it only lasted two days.'
South Africa's Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Jack Bloom, is leading a campaign to address the critical state of the country's water infrastructure. Bloom has identified that 47% of wastewater treatment plants are in a critical state and are releasing sewage into rivers, posing an immediate health risk. Furthermore, 49% of water supply systems have a high risk of microbial contamination, indicating that nearly half of the clean water intended for municipalities is either unmetered, lost in leaking pipes, or stolen.
Bloom's initiative, known as the Mandela Month Clear Rivers Campaign, aims to tackle the root causes of pollution in rivers. This campaign was launched at the Apies River in Pretoria, where it was described as a toxic river, contaminated by effluent from industries and broken wastewater treatment plants. Bloom emphasized the need to stop these root causes, drawing parallels between the issues at the Klip River in Soweto and another river he visited, both of which have been impacted by sewage discharge from malfunctioning treatment plants.
In response to these findings, AfriForum, a civil rights organization, plans to conduct extensive water quality testing in nearly 160 areas across the country. According to Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum's manager of environmental affairs, these tests will help hold local government accountable for the deteriorating condition of water infrastructure and the pollution of natural water resources.
De Klerk highlighted that nearly half of the wastewater treatment works are in critical condition, and hundreds of drinking water systems remain classified as high-risk or critical.
The organization also plans to visit other provinces soon to continue addressing these issues. De Klerk expressed concern over the current state of the country's water infrastructure, citing AfriForum's latest reports which indicate that local government has failed to take decisive action against the deterioration of water infrastructure and the pollution of natural water resources.
Despite the challenges, the Mandela Month Clear Rivers Campaign has already made an impact. Bloom recently launched the campaign at the Apies River in Pretoria, describing the river as contaminated by effluent from industries and broken wastewater treatment plants. While repair work on a three-year leak at the Dan Pienaarville reservoir took only two days the second time, it still highlights the ongoing issue of water leakage.
Bloom's dedication to cleaning up South Africa's water sector underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate action to ensure the health and safety of the nation's people.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
