The Magalies Water Board did an oversight visit to the Brits Water Treatment Plant last week to assess the progress of the now 10-year-long project. Refurbishment and upgrading of the treatment plant started in 2015 and the estimated completion date was initially given as 2022.
Representatives of Magalies Water visited the Brits Water Treatment Plant.
The R845 million project involves the refurbishment of the Brits Water Treatment works, upgrade of the plant from 60 Ml/day to 80 Ml/day; upgrading of the process trail to enable the plant to treat deteriorating raw water; upgrading of the raw water pump station and pipeline and upgrading of the distribution system up to the bulk water reservoirs. The project has experienced a number of hurdles over the past 10 years.
In 2020, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, instructed the department’s regional office in the North West to increase its support to the Madibeng Local Municipality to fast-track the refurbishment of Brits Water Treatment Works.
During a Magalies Water media site meeting in 2022, Jimmy Leburu of Magalies Water said the upgrading of the water treatment works has experienced many problems since it started in 2015. The challenges included, among others, lack of funding, termination of contractors and community unrest. The Department of Water and Sanitation has made funding available for mechanical and electrical work. At the time he said that the estimated completion date was March 2023. However, Magalies Water said at the time it was aiming for an accelerated completion date of December 2022. The project is a joint venture between the Department of Water and Sanitation and Magalies Water.
Magalies Water said this week that the estimated completion date is now June 2025.
