The most critical repair work at the Homevale Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Kimberley has been completed thanks to a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Beefmaster Group and the Sol Plaatje Municipality. This is seen as a milestone of what PPPs can achieve to restore dysfunctional water and WWTPs.
“Effluent water running through this segment is now being cleaned and treated effectively,” says Gert Blignaut, chief operations officer of the Beefmaster Group.
The project, started a year ago, created 20 temporary jobs, which are still ongoing. The Beefmaster Group provided the labour to fix, repair and replace non-working parts, including repairs to the chlorination plant and the installation of new cabling. Overgrown areas around the plant was also cleared.
“The maintenance and upkeep of public infrastructure falls outside of the responsibility of the Beefmaster Group, but we recognised the importance to assist due to the impact of the plant’s continual breakdown on the safety and investability of the area,” says Blignaut.
