Drakenstein Wastewater Treatment Strategy: Siting of Paarl South Wastewater Treatment Works
The current treatment of wastewater in the Drakenstein Municipal area requires urgent attention. In particular, there is a critical need to improve the quality of effluent being released into the Berg River. The Drakenstein wastewater treatment requirements are currently the subject of a strategic study being undertaken by Community Engineering Services (CEs), in consultation with Africon and Ninham Shand, to address the various wastewater treatment concerns and to propose various strategies for wastewater treatment facilities within the Drakenstein Municipal area. This strategic planning has identified immediate, short, medium and long term interventions to address the Drakenstein wastewater requirements. The proposed short term interventions entail the following three projects: the upgrade/ extension of the Paarl WWTW, the construction of a new gravity outfall sewer from Paarl south to the Paarl WWTW, and the siting of a regional WWTW for the rural area south of Paarl (referred to in the EIA reporting as the siting of the Paarl South WWTW). The proposed projects represent scheduled activities in terms of the Environment Conservation Act No. 73 of 1989 (ECA), and thus require authorisation from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. Ninham Shand has been appointed by the Drakenstein Municipality to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, in terms of the ECA.
In October 2006 the decision was made to split the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the upgrade/ extension of the Paarl WWTW and Paarl south gravity outfall sewer from that for the siting of the future regional Paarl South WWTW. This related to the fact that the first two projects were urgent, whilst the latter required further investigation of alternatives sites prior to completion. In this regard, the EIR Part 1 was completed and submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (D:EA&DP) for a Record of Decision in January 2007, and dealt only with the upgrading of the Paarl WWTW and the construction of the gravity outfall sewer. A Record of Decision, authorizing the proposed projects, was issued by D:EA&DP on 21 May 2007. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (Part 2) has now been compiled, and relates only to the siting of the future Paarl South WWTW.
Current Project Phase
The Draft EIR (Part 2) has been lodged in the Paarl and Wellington public libraries from 7 November 2008. Interested and Affected Parties are invited to submit written comments on the Draft EIR (Part 2) to Ninham Shand until 8 December 2008. Furthermore, a public Open House meeting will be held on 19 November 2008 at the Drakenstein Municipality, Council Chambers, (1st Floor Civic Centre, Berg River Boulevard, Paarl) from 16h00 to 18h00, to discuss the findings of the Draft EIR (Part 2).
]