Western Cape Government signs MoU with Denmark to improve wastewater treatment

• Published date: 05 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Speaking on the benefits of the MoU, Minister Bredell, said: 'I welcome this partnership, as it comes at a critical time for us. A new research paper recently published by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, which looked at the impact of the 2015 to 2017 drought on the Berg River Estuary, shows that the Berg River ecological systems are in a worse condition than previously thought.'

The Research concluded that to preserve the Berg River's ecological systems, more freshwater needs to flow through the Estuary to maintain the desired level of ecological health. This means better monitoring and regulations are needed in terms of water extraction, but we also need better quality water released from wastewater works situated along the Berg River. The research showed that during winter, sufficient water reaches the Estuary, but too little water reaches the Estuary during the summer.

The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, elaborated: 'The MoU aims to foster the exchange of knowledge relating to 17 wastewater treatment works situated along the Berg River. This programme, which is funded by the Kingdom of Denmark, will focus on improving management and technical skills for these plants to operate more effectively.'

Bredell added that the Danish MoU will play a crucial role in improving the quality of water released back into the Berg River by wastewater works and added that the fact that the Berg River Estuary was...