GEORGE NEWS - The long awaited and controversial R75 million waste water treatment plant was officially launched yesterday. It is a first for South Africa.

The plant has been in use since 4 August and on a daily basis treated effluent is pumped into the Garden Route Dam, supplementing the raw water supply with approximately 10Ml of high quality water (per day).
Yesterday morning the dam level stood at 49,5%, still falling short of the magical 50% mark, while daily consumption has increased from an average of 22Ml in July to a current average of 23Ml.

Senior manager of civil engineering services Harold Basson was in Johannesburg last night for the CESA Glenrand MIB Engineering Excellence award ceremony.

He was entered by SSI, an engineering company, in the category ‘Visionary Client’ on behalf of local municipalities for the handling of and providing solutions to the drought.

(Next week the George Herald will report in depth on the workings of the treatment plant.)

Article and photos: Ilse Schoonraad


Why not have a drink of water? Lindsay Mooiman and Harold Basson (right) from civil services have a laugh with their portfolio councillor Myron Rabinowitz at the pump station.