had become involved in developing technical water capabilities and capacity in Emfuleni in 2009 but withdrew after the municipality did not pay for bulk water debt.On Wednesday, the department of water and sanitation said its“won’t be an overnight success” and that work would begin on the refurbishment of Emfuleni’s pump stations.
Tempelhoff said residents of the Vaal felt “dejected” and “done in by the government” because of the extensive pollution.at the Vaal Barrage had been made “impossible” by the sewage pollution. “The health risks are enormous, and the pollution discourages investment in businesses that will create employment, especially the tourism industry, which was developing very nicely along the Vaal River. But no one wants to come here to be entertained and to smell sewage. This has caused job losses in the Emfuleni jurisdiction.”
Further downstream, in Parys, she said, river rafting is popular. “But people don’t want to do that because of the water quality. It’s so important that we get this situation right.” Among the report’s raft of recommendations are that the water and sanitation department must develop and implement policies and standards to deal with water crises, the Vaal River’s contamination in particular. To avoid a repeat, the river and its associated water infrastructure must be declared as critical infrastructure to ensure it will be protected and restored.