Joint statement on progress to deliver water to the residents of Hammanskraal 

Background 

Following the cholera outbreak which claimed the lives of approximately 40 people, in June 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa led a delegation of government leaders across all spheres of government to the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works in Hammanskraal. The cholera outbreak placed a spotlight on the water and sanitation challenges in Hammanskraal. At a media briefing following the visit, the government announced a set of interventions to address the water and sanitation challenges in the area. 

These interventions included the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works, which is currently underway, managed by the City of Tshwane. This is necessary to address the sewage pollution of the Apies River from the Wastewater Treatment Works, which in turn affects the ability of the City’s downstream Water Treatment Works to supply Hammanskraal with water which meets drinking water standards. 

As an interim measure while the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works is being repaired and upgraded, government made a commitment to provide piped clean drinking water to Hammanskraal, through the construction of additional water treatment capacity at the Magalies Water Treatment Works at Klipdrift near Hammanskraal. A R750 million portable water treatment plant (called a ‘package plant’) is being installed at the Klipdrift Water Treatment Works. Once all four modules of the package plant are completed, it will be able to provide 50 million litres of treated water to Hammanskraal. 

Progress to date 

The first of the four modules of the package plant was delayed due to unforeseen hard rock ground conditions, but was completed in October 2024. It will supply 12.5 megalitres of potable water into City of Tshwane’s reticulation network in Hammanskraal. This will enable piped clean drinking water to be supplied to the following areas: Mandela Village, Marokolong, Ramotse, Kekana Gardens (Steve Bikoville) and Babelegi Industrial which are in ward 49, 73,74 and 75. 

The remaining modules are due to be completed in March 2025, April 2025 and June 2025 respectively. Once the other modules have been completed, all areas of Hammanskraal will then be supplied with piped water from the package plant. In the meantime, the other areas of Hammanskraal will continue to receive clean drinking water through water tankering. This water that is supplied through water tankers is obtained from other Rand Water and Magalies Water pipelines, is regularly tested, and is safe to drink. 

The initial timeframe was for piped clean drinking water from the first module to start flowing to the areas of Hammanskraal indicated above by the end of October 2024. However, delays caused by disruptions in electricity supply and malfunctioning pumps resulted in this timeframe not being met. 

Following these delays, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina, has been leading regular meetings including the Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi, the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Cllr Nasiphi Moya and Magalies Water. The purpose of these meetings has been to monitor progress, address challenges, and ensure the finalisation of the project to start providing piped clean water to the people of Hammanskraal. 

All the issues that had constrained progress and caused delays have now been resolved. Eskom has provided an alternative electricity supply line to the Klipdrift plant, Magalies Water has installed replacement pumps, and the City of Tshwane has completed the flushing of the water reticulation network in the areas of Hammanskraal to be supplied with water from the first module of the package plant. 

The City of Tshwane has completed testing of the water in the reticulation network and the tests indicate that the flushing has been successful. However, some minor turbidity is still present and the water is not yet safe to drink. It will only be safe to drink when the City issues a formal notice that it is safe to drink, which is expected soon. 

Among the work done by the City is the auditing of water meters, which will measure the amount of water used by households and businesses in order for the City to calculate a reliable water bill. The City is currently replacing faulty meters. This exercise will have no cost implications to those customers with such meters. Once the residents start receiving clean drinking water, they will be expected to pay for the water consumed as Magalies Water will bill the City for the water supplied from the package plant. 

A phased approach has been adopted for the provision of piped clean drinking water from the package plant to Hammanskraal. As part of this phased approach, the areas closer to the water distribution storage point will be the first to receive supply. This means that not everyone will get water at the same time, but all areas of Hammanskraal will have piped clean drinking water ultimately.

The City also assists families in Hammanskraal who might need financial assistance. The Community and Social Development Services Department has accelerated the registration of qualifying indigent applicants in the Hammanskraal area. The City ran a programme recently in various wards to help residents with problems they had with their water bills. Finance employees were made available to help with reading meters, answering billing questions and making payment arrangements. 

Conclusion 

The Department of Water and Sanitation, the Gauteng Provincial Government, the City of Tshwane and Magalies Water will continue to work together to address the water situation in Hammanskraal. The progress being made is testament to the importance of various spheres of government working together to resolve service delivery challenges. 

In conclusion, we wish to remind all residents that ours is a water-scarce country. Let us use this precious resource sparingly. Each drop counts. 

Planned phased implementation schedule 

Enquiries: Department/Ministry of Water and Sanitation (Cornelius Monama: 083 271 0808, Mandla Mathebula: 083 235 8675); Magalies Water (Bulelwa Mbali-Khoele: 071 642 0698); Office of the Premier (Vuyo Mhaga: 076 636 5193); City of Tshwane (Selby Bokaba: 082 778 0245)

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