The Matjhabeng Municipality will give urgent attention to the critical sewage problem at two of Welkom’s prominent schools.
Vista has consistently been highlighting the never-ending sewage problems at Welkom Technical High School (THS) and Unitas Secondary School.
In June, Vista wrote that Unitas has been continually flooded with raw sewage for the past four years. The same situation exists at the neighbouring THS.
At Unitas, the situation is so bad that the school buildings are starting to crack and deteriorate. The school’s basement is flooded with more than 80 000 litres of wastewater. This situation resembles a sewage swimming pool under the school
Paul Young, Unitas factotum
At Unitas, the situation is so bad that the school buildings are starting to crack and deteriorate. The school’s basement is flooded with more than 80 000 litres of wastewater. This situation resembles a sewage swimming pool under the school, says Leon Young, maintenance manager for the school.
In May, the conditions at THS were again highlighted.
Since February, the school has been struggling with severe sewage flooding, causing disruption at the hostel facilities and on the sports fields. The health of the pupils is being threatened by this. Two of the school’s rugby fields are under sewage, and the children can only practise on the C-field, next to the sewage.
The school’s home matches can also only take place on this field. This situation has been reported to the provincial department of education. A representative from the department visited the school and took videos and photos. They were supposed to report it to the municipality.
The entrance to the school’s hostel is contaminated with sewage, and the children have to walk through it to move in and out.
Tshediso Tlali, spokesperson for the executive mayor of Matjhabeng, Thanduxolo Khalipha, says that during the handover of the adjacent Old Traffic Pump Station, the executive mayor urged the Infrastructure Department to urgently address the ongoing sewer issue affecting both nearby schools.
This highlights the serious health risks it poses to learners and staff. To resolve this matter, the municipality is working in collaboration with Vaal Central Water, the implementing agent for the Ministerial Intervention Programme on sewer infrastructure in Matjhabeng
Tshediso Tlali
“This highlights the serious health risks it poses to learners and staff. To resolve this matter, the municipality is working in collaboration with Vaal Central Water, the implementing agent for the Ministerial Intervention Programme on sewer infrastructure in Matjhabeng,” says Tlali.
“A detailed assessment of the sewer line is currently underway using CCTV technology to detect the root cause of the problem. Whilst the technical team awaits the outcome of this assessment to implement a permanent solution, pumps have been deployed on-site as an interim measure to manage and alleviate the situation,” says Tlali.
