Sewage works on the brink of collapse
By Tarryn Le Chat
27 November 2006
The sewerage works at several Western Cape municipalities are on the brink of collapse as failing equipment and increasing demand threaten to swamp buckling infrastructures.
Some of the towns are classified as ‘high risk’ in a shock survey by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research include Swellendam, Oudtshoorn, Cederberg and Theewaterskloof.
The report assessed 122 wastewater treatment works and found that many municipalities urgently needed to upgrade their sewerage treatment works to avoid collapse.
The report, however, omitted the City of Cape Town from the report due to time constraints.
The department of Water Affairs and Forestry told the weekend Argus that close to R1 billion was urgently needed to support the failing infrastructure of many municipalities.
The biggest factor contributing to pollution was the failing infrastructure used to transport the sewage to the treatment works.
27 November 2006
The sewerage works at several Western Cape municipalities are on the brink of collapse as failing equipment and increasing demand threaten to swamp buckling infrastructures.
Some of the towns are classified as ‘high risk’ in a shock survey by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research include Swellendam, Oudtshoorn, Cederberg and Theewaterskloof.
The report assessed 122 wastewater treatment works and found that many municipalities urgently needed to upgrade their sewerage treatment works to avoid collapse.
The report, however, omitted the City of Cape Town from the report due to time constraints.
The department of Water Affairs and Forestry told the weekend Argus that close to R1 billion was urgently needed to support the failing infrastructure of many municipalities.
The biggest factor contributing to pollution was the failing infrastructure used to transport the sewage to the treatment works.
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