Following an oversight visit to the plant on Monday (5/10), deputy minister of water and sanitation Dr Jack Bloom described the situation as devastating. Conditions at the facility showed that sewage was entering the plant and leaving without undergoing proper treatment before flowing into the surrounding water system.

The 2025 Green Drop Report shows Matlosana’s wastewater performance has fallen to just 11.9%. The decline is largely attributed to the loss of 40-million L a day from the city’s total wastewater treatment capacity of 77-million L, placing further pressure on the remaining infrastructure.

“I saw bullet holes from their previous raid, and armed guards now patrol the site in an armoured vehicle. Sewage enters the plant and leaves it with only the manual removal of large objects, and it then pollutes the Schoonspruit, which flows into the Vaal River,” Bloom said.

Deputy minister of water and sanitation Dr Jack Bloom during an oversight visit at the Klerksdorp wastewater treatment plant. Photo supplied

The department of water and sanitation issued a directive against the Matlosana council in September 2021. The Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency also laid criminal charges over pollution in February this year after follow-up compliance measures failed to resolve the problems at the facility.

It was estimated in 2023 that about R400m would be required to refurbish the plant, although the cost could rise following a fresh assessment. Bloom said unnecessary delays had occurred because documentation needed to access funding had not been prepared and submitted in time.

The feasibility study, preliminary design and implementation readiness study were submitted to the department’s North West provincial office on Friday (2/10), he said. Officials will assess the project’s technical and financial viability before an application can be made for funding through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant.

Bloom would monitor progress to speed up the process. Physical rehabilitation work is only expected to begin around July next year once provision is made in the next council budget. 

The immediate priority is restoring electricity so that at least some sewage treatment can resume while broader repairs continue.

Security at the facility will also have to be strengthened to prevent further vandalism. Bloom warned that the delays could have serious legal consequences because Matlosana is already subject to court orders requiring action on the sewage crisis, while continued non-compliance could lead to contempt proceedings.

Dr Jack Bloom with an armed guard during his oversight visit at the Klerksdorp wastewater treatment plant. Photo supplied

High E. coli levels were linked to illness among children, fish deaths, and poor-quality water affecting farmers, he said. The pollution was also placing food production and jobs at risk. He would engage the police about delays in obtaining a warning statement from the municipal manager for possible referral to the NPA.

He also planned to follow up on why numerous cases reportedly opened by the council against illegal miners have not been pursued. 

Meanwhile, the department of water and sanitation is preparing to launch a National Polluter Register aimed at strengthening accountability and improving public access to information about water pollution.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cvs

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