CDM Municipality
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During the Blue Drop assessment in 2023, the municipality had a finding regarding non-publication of their water quality results. Due to the finding, the municipality took a resolution to start publishing their quarterly results on their website as the results are always presented in Disaster Advisory Forum and District Water and Sanitation forum.
There are nine (9) water supply systems, and seven (7) water treatment works that are currently registered with the department of water and sanitation (DWS) for Blue Drop System (BDS) assessment. The nine water supply systems comprises of Alldays, Bodutlolo, Botlokwa, Lebowakgomo, Mogwadi, Olifantspoort, Senwabarwana, Tooseng and Zebediela water supply systems. Lebowakgomo, Olifantspoort and Zebediela water supply systems received water supply from the Lepelle Northern Water under Olifantspoort WTWs.
The other systems received their water supply from treated boreholes within the CDM area. Alldays, Bodutlolo, Mogwadi, Tooseng and Senwabarwana water systems received their water supply from Kroemhoek WTWs, Bodutlolo WTWs Mogwadi WTWs, Tooseng WTWs and Senwabarwana WTWs, respectively. Botlokwa regional water system receives the water supply from Makgatho WTWs and Polata WTWs.
Alldays, Lebowakgomo, Olifantspoort and Zebediela WSS performed moderately for the period Jul 24 to Mar 25 as the was a challenge with microbiological determinants failures. Bodutlolo WSS performed fairly for the period Jul 2024 to Mar 2025 with magnesium, hardness and total coliform being the parameters that did not comply to SANS 0241.
The remaining four (4) WSS (i.e., Botlokwa RWSS, Mogwadi WSS, Tooseng WSS and Senwabarwana WSS) their complaince were poor as most of the determinants were not complying to SANS 0241 drinking standard. The following Figure present the complaince status of WSS within CDM,
As shown in graphical presentations, Mogwadi, Senwabarwana, Botlokwa and Tooseng WSS showed poor water quality with Tooseng and Botlokwa WSS being heavily affected. With Botlokwa WSS, the challenge is due to high water demand in the area, not all borehole’s water is treated by the two package plants (i.e. Makgatho and Polata) for the supply system.
The water treated (yield) from the two plants is not sufficient to blend all the borehole’s water into the supply system hence there are failures for WSS. The same effect is observed for Senwabarwana and Mogwadi WSS. However, for Tooseng WSS the two boreholes are treated at the plant and currently, the treatment work is not able to remove conductivity, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, hardness, chlorides, nitrates, calcium, and magnesium.
For Senwabarwana and Tooseng WTWs, contractors have been sent to sites to provide the municipality with quotations for the maintenance of the package plants. Quotations of R3,9 million and R2,9 million for Senwabarwana, and Tooseng, respectively, were received. The current budget allocated for the operations of package plants was adjusted to R5,5 million during the budget adjustment with R3,4 million been committed to the maintenance of other water treatment works within the municipality. The remaining R2,1 million was earmarked for the maintenance and service of Senwabarwana water treatment works.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the graphical diagram of water quality compliance within CDM as presented be approved and uploaded on the CDM website for compliance. As the graphical presentation depicts, most of our water supply systems do not comply with the SANS 0241 drinking standards and as such the provision of safe drinking water is compromised.
It is recommended that the office of the Municipal Manager assists the Scientific Services Unit with an additional budget of roughly R5 million for the refurbishment of Polata and Tooseng WTWs as a matter of urgency.
