HUMANSDORP – The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo, and Yusuf Cassim, DA EC Provincial Chairperson, conducted an oversight inspection at the recently refurbished KwaNomzamo Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape on 31 October.
The facility underwent extensive upgrades after being previously vandalised.
According to Cassim, the extensive upgrade to the KwaNomzamo WWTW at a cost of R42 million was supported by the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). He said that it was officially commissioned in September 2025 and has now entered the testing and optimisation stage of commissioning to ensure that all the requisite systems operate within the required operational standards.
“With a treatment capacity of 4 million litres per day, the modernised plant now serves multiple communities and is expected to benefit more than 2,200 households. This significantly improves sanitation services and environmental protection in the Kouga Municipality,” said Cassim.
Jacques du Toit, Project Management Unit manager, said that they have prioritised the continuation of maintenance of all water treatment centres and have implemented the necessary security measures to prevent further vandalism.
He said that they have installed state-of-the-art walls, high-tech cameras, and increased the number of security guards on site.
Du Toit has also encouraged residents to take a hand with the municipality to ensure the safeguarding of the wastewater treatment centre.
“The KwaNomzamo WWTW was previously vandalised, which was the reason for the refurbishment. The plant is now operational,” said Du Toit.
The site visit included viewing the water channels and a new control room.
Cassim also revealed that they conducted an oversight inspection at the impressive Paradise Beach Water Tower, a R9.7 million investment.
In partnership with the Eastern Cape government, Kouga Municipality also recently launched a multi-million-rand infrastructure project to restore reliable sanitation services to Hankey’s Weston community.
Phase 1 of the Weston WWTW project is valued at R20.7 million.
Cassim said that the municipality also completed a R4.89 million upgrade of the Hankey WWTW, improving operational efficiency and on-site security.
He said that in 2024, Kouga reopened the Gill Marcus WWTW in Humansdorp after nearly R5 million in upgrades.
Furthermore, Cassim said that last year, four new water purification plants were completed, the largest municipal facilities in Africa to use this advanced purification method.
He said that the municipality has also drilled more than 30 boreholes.
“With the new purification plants up and running, the municipality has cut its reliance on dam water from 70% to just 30%. The remaining 70% now comes from underground sources such as springs and boreholes,” said Cassim.
“This means Kouga is well protected from ever facing a true Day Zero.”
READ MORE | Waste Water Treatment Works to be upgraded
You must be logged in to post a comment.