Update

GEORGE - The upgrade of the Outeniqua Waste Water Treatment Works (OWWTW) is back on track after months of uncertainty, following a dispute between George Municipality and the contractor that brought the project to a halt.

A number of developments to the east of George depend on its workings. Luckily the Erf 325 housing development near Rosedale does not depend on the main upgrade at the OWWTW, since a separate project, referred to as a package plant, is being built to address the development's requirements.

Dispute
Director of Civil Engineering Regenald Wesso said the OWWTW project recommenced on 11 January with the same contractor, after a prolonged disputed that was resolved in December last year. 

The municipality did not respond to questions regarding the identity of the contractor, the reason for the dispute or the financial implication of the ruling.

According to Marcellino Martin, spokesperson to Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements Tertuis Simmers, the municipality terminated the contractor's services as the contractor was not fulfilling its contractual obligations. 

"The contractor successfully appealed the termination as the adjudicator ruled in their favour," said Martin. "During this period, no work in terms of the upgrades could commence, which meant the Erf 325 houses could not be connected and occupancy could also not occur."

Back in business
Acting Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz said the municipality is now confident that it has the skills and the funding to roll out the OWWTW project immediately. The municipality has previously indicated that there is a shortage of skilled staff to roll out the project. 

"To this end a temporary professional engineer commenced duty on 8 February 2021 to drive this project," said municipal spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose. 

"The Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (Misa) has also been approached and they availed two officials to the municipality for two days per week. Furthermore, the municipality has liaised with Cogta (Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) to request MIG funding (municipal infrastructure grant) be made available for the project as soon as possible."

The original completion date for the OWWTW upgrade was scheduled for May 2022, but is not viable any more. "Claims are expected for an extension of time due to the dispute and other Covid-19 restrictions," said Wesso.

Developments
Concern has previously been expressed about a possible moratorium on development in the town due to the slow progress with the upgrade of the OWWTW. However, Edwards-Klose again confirmed that no moratorium on development is in place.

According to Acting Director for Planning, Delia Power, all major developments are being monitored by the respective directorates in a weekly bulk infrastructure action plan. The aim is to facilitate processes concerning these developments by managing the phases and approval processes in cooperation with the developers.

"The list of projects varies from directorate to directorate and includes developments in both the public and private sector," she said. "Prospective developers are requested to communicate through their appointed engineers regarding capacity and service availability."

Pump station
The water quality in the Meulen River system and the working condition of the Meulen Pump Station Golf 8 in Parkdene has been questioned (read a letter in this regard on the letters page).

Director of Civil Engineering Regenald Wesso said his department is not aware of any immediate problems at the Meulen Pump Station, but added that a lack of routine maintenance has led to frequent breakdowns. 

"Funding is being requested for this in the new financial year budget. All of the pump stations in George are functional but frequent breakdowns do occur and are addressed immediately," he said.

Director of Human Settlements Charles Lubbe was asked whether the pump station to which the sewage from the new Erf 325 housing development near Rosedale will be fed, will cope with the extra volume, he confirmed with a "yes".

Erf 325
The contractor appointed by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements to build the package plant project for Erf 325, Alveo Waters, has been on site since the end of February. This plant is being built to address the needs of Erf 325 and will have an 800kl capacity (two 400kl modules). It is important to note that Alveo Waters is not the housing service provider.

Moving in
According to Marcellino Martin, spokesperson to Minister Tertuis Simmers, the earliest occupation of Gap houses (also called Flisp - Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme) will start in July this year. "The occupation of the RDP houses (also called Breaking New Ground or BNG) will also take place this year, but a specific date hasn't yet been set," said Martin.

Director of Human Settlements Charles Lubbe confirmed that his department is currently busy with subsidy administration and the allocation of erven numbers to beneficiaries.

Asked what still needs to be done before the houses are distributed to beneficiaries, Martin said the registration of the Surveyor-General plan is still outstanding. In addition, there has been a glitch with the street names. Lubbe said street names were unfortunately erroneously allocated. 

"Province is in consultation with the municipal planning department to correct these," said Lubbe.

The Erf 325 project comprises 2 113 houses, of which 1 032 have been completed - 147 Flisp houses and 885 RDP homes. At present the construction of 179 RDP homes is taking place. 

The rest will follow as soon as the TRA (Time Risk Allowance - the difference between the contractor's planned completion date and the completion date set in the contract) has been moved.

Gardag (Garden Route Dam Aksie Groep) kommitteelede, Ken Gie en Pauline Lourens:
Die publiek van George moet gewaarsku en afgeraai word om in Victoriabaai te swem. Daar bestaan ‘n groot gesondheids- en omgewingsrisiko waarvan die owerhede reeds in kennis gestel is.

‘n Massiewe hoeveelheid van rou riool stort tans in die Meulriviermond in Ballotsbaai en spoel op Victoriabaai se strand uit via ‘n seestroom. ‘n Soortgelyke storting is in Februarie 2020 as ‘n noodsituasie beskou.

Die besoedeling van die rivier en kus is direk as gevolg van die feit dat ‘n rioolpompstasie van George-munisipaliteit in Parkdene gevandaliseer en buite werking is. ‘n Verdere ontstellende nadraai hiervan is dat jong kinders van Parkdene, wat graag in die Meulrivier swem, die risiko loop om oordraagbare siektes op te doen. (Foto aangeheg).

Die rioolstorting vind plaas vanuit ‘n pyp direk onder die pompstasie waarvandaan dit in die rivier beland.

‘n Bekommerde Ballotsbaai-inwoner vergesel deur senior personeellede van George-munisipaliteit het die skokkende storting eerstehands beskou tydens ‘n besoek op Vrydag 19 Februarie.

Ongelukkig is die menslike ontlasting nie die enigste omgewingsgevaar nie. Industriële afvalwater word doelbewus in die Meulrivier gestort deur fabriekseienaars via die munisipale stormwaterstelsels.

Ballotsbaai-inwoners monitor die onrusbarende situasie reeds vir jare. Foto’s geneem verlede Donderdag, toon onder andere swart en rooi kleurstof wat in die Ballotsbaai- riviermonding stroom. Op geleentheid is soortgelyke besoedeling naby Victoriabaai deur branderplankryers waargeneem.

Die hengelaars wat by die Ballotsbaai monding visvang vir oorlewing moet liefs ook van hierdie situasie kennis dra. ‘n Jaar gelede het Sally Kennedy van Ballots Bay Heights dit beklemtoon dat alle fauna en flora vernietig is in die baai en dit sluit die Kaapse otter in.

Dis egter nie net swemmers en branderplankryers en gemeenskappe wat blootgestel word aan hierdie toksiese mengsels by ons ikoniese en geliefde strande nie. Ondersoek moet ingestel word of plase verder stroomop van die Meulrivier - ook besmet word. Die gevolge hiervan kan katastrofies wees. ‘n Uitbraak van Cholera en Tifus moet liefs vermy word.

Die Garden Route Dam Aksie Groep (GARDAG) wat besorg is oor die algehele waterbronbestuur van George het die George-munisipaliteit genader vir samesprekings, en is vol hoop dat die noodsituasie, wat ook die besoedeling van ons dam insluit, so spoedig as moontlik die nodige aandag sal kry.

The municipal Department of Human Settlements is currently busy with subsidy administration and the allocation of erven numbers to beneficiaries of the Erf 325 housing project near Rosedale.

George-munisipaliteit, siviele ingenieursdienste departement: 
George-munisipaliteit het Vrydag 19 Februarie 2021 saam met verteenwoordigers van die Wes-Kaapse Departement Omgewingsake en Ontwikkelingsbeplanning en die Nasionale Departement Water en Sanitasie perseel-inspeksies by die Meul-pompstasie en Parkdene-omgewing gedoen om moontlike besoedeling wat met rioolstorting verband hou te ondersoek. ‘n Inwoner van Ballots Bay het ook die inspeksie bygewoon.

Watermonsters was vroeër in dieselfde week geneem en die teenwoordigheid van riool is in die Meulrivier bo Ballots Bay gevind. Die oorsaak daarvan was geïdentifiseer en was reeds besig om skoongemaak te word ten tyde van die inspeksie.

Uitslae van die toetse in die riviermond waar dit in die see inloop was minimaal en het ver onder die riglyne vir onspanningsgebruik getoets. Daar is dus geen risiko vir swemmers en branderplankryers nie.

Die regeringsdepartement het aangedui dat hulle tevrede was met die bevindings en hoe dit hanteer was.

Waterkwaliteit in die gebied sal weekliks gemonitor word.

George-munisipaliteit het reeds heelwat opgraderings by die Eden-pompstasie in die huide finansiële jaar (2020/21) gedoen en die Meul-pompstasie sal in die volgende finansiële jaar (2021/22) opgegradeer word. Beplanning vir die opgradering van die Schaapkop-pompstasie is ook onderweg.

Rioolstortings word nie net deur pompstasie-infrastruktuur-probleme veroorsaak nie. Die mees onlangse storting by Meul-pompstasie was as gevolg van ‘n groot pypbars wat gemors in die pompstasie inlaatwerke gespoel het en ‘n blokkasie veroorsaak het. 

Gemors wat stroomop van pompstasies teenwoordig is, is ‘n groot probleem en word veroorsaak deur onder andere onwettige vullisstorting en verkeerde items wat in die rioolsisteem gegooi word. Vandalisme en diefstal van meganiese, elektriese en ander toerusting en infrastruktuur speel ook ‘n rol.

Waterkwaliteit in die rivier word maandeliks getoets en rioolstortings word chemies behandel soos wat dit voorkom. Die munisipaliteit het ‘n geskeduleerde watertoetsprogram en uitslae word gestuur aan die Nasionale Departement Water en Sanitasie, wie die bewaarders van alle waterbronne en weë is, en soos wat die in terme van wetgewing vereis word.

George Munisipaliteit het waarskuwingsborde aangebring om die publiek te waarsku om nie die riviere naby pompstasies vir swem en wasgoed te gebruik nie – nie net as ‘n gesondheidsvoorsorgmaatreël nie, maar ook om ongelukke en verdrinkings te bekamp. Die borde word egter vinnig gesteel of gevandaliseer, en waarskuwings word oor die algemeen in elk geval geïgnoreer.

Opgradering van die Eden-pompstasie was geprioritiseer omdat stortings vanuit hierdie stasie die Tuinroete-dam sou kom beïnvloed, alhoewel riool in elk geval deur chemikalië behandel word om die impak van enige moontlike storting te neutraliseer. Besoedeling in die Kat River, waar die Eden-stasie geleë is, hou ook verband met die nabyheid van beboude woongebiede en dit is onvermybaar dat gemors, tuin- en huisvullis en ander besoedeling wat met menslike bewoning verwant hou in die waterweg sal vloei.

George Munisipaliteit fokus op die vier grootste pompstasies om ou infrastruktuur sistematies op te gradeer en om die oorspronklike uitleg en ontwerp-elemente terselfdertyd te verbeter. Die hoë kostes van hierdie opgraderings (wat sowat R160-miljoen vir vier stasis beloop) moet in bekostigbare fases gedoen word.

Die gemeenskappe wat naby en rondom riviere woon en werk het ook ‘n belangrike rol om te speel in die onderhoud en gesondheid van riviere. Hul samewerking om infrastruktuur te respekteer en korrek te gebruik is baie belangrik. Die koste van infrastruktuur is ook al hoe duurder soos wat alternatiewe gesoek moet word wat bestand is teen vandale en diewe, en sekuriteitsmaatreëls in plek gestel moet word waar dit voorheen nie nodig was nie.

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