01 Mar 2018

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Prince Maele says water used on vegetables at Glen Valley is not sufficiently cleaned due to limitations on the treatment plant efficiency.

He said the effluent quality keeps on fluctuating based on the quality of raw sewage reaching the plant which had been designed to handle domestic sewage or a blend of pre-treated industrial waste complying with Trade Effluent Agreement. Answering a question in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Maele said the domestic and industrial waste should be separated at source in order to control the quality of water released to the environment.

“Apparently, some institutions discharge raw industrial waste directly into sewerage system which ultimately affect the composition thereof hence contributing to limits exceeding the Botswana Standard, BOS 93 (Wastewater Specification),” he said.

Minister Maele said it was that complex operational dynamics that hindered compliance to the requirements of the standard. He said his ministry continued to engage the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security regarding appropriate handling of the effluent water with a view to avoid crop contamination.

The Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister to state whether water used for watering vegetables at Glen Valley was sufficiently cleaned and safe.ENDS