28 Jan 2021

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Phildah Kereng says the sanitation component of the Maun water and sanitation phase II project recognises the social and economic importance of the Thamalakane River to the residents Maun other villages whose rivers receive water from Thamalakane River.

Answering a question at Ntlo Ya Dikgosi on January 27, Ms Kereng said the river was the backbone of life in Maun and surrounding villages.

Therefore, Ms Kereng said it was of utmost importance for its integrity to be safeguarded.

“To ensure this, the Maun wastewater network has been divided into two distinct systems on either side of the river. As a result, there are no sewer pipes that cross the river, eliminating the risk of mass spillage into the river in the event of pipe breaks,” she said.  

Consequently, Ms Kereng said wastewater from Maun Sewerage Project would be treated at two treatment plants, east and west of the Thamalakane River.

She said the west wastewater treatment plant would be located at Moeti, at the site of the existing water stabilisation ponds, while the east wastewater treatment plant would be located opposite the Maun sanitary landfill on a greenfield site.

In addition, Minister Kereng said the wastewater treatment at the sites would be through rotating biological contractors’ system, which would treat the wastewater to a quality within limits set by Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) for disposal into water courses.

She added that effluent from the wastewater treatment plant could also be used for crop irrigation.

Ms Kereng said if the river was to be used as a disposal site of the wastewater, effluent from the treatment plants would be directed to wetlands that would be constructed as part of the project.

 “The wetlands will further polish the effluent and serve as a holding facility before the water is taken up for other uses or disposed to water courses,” said minister Kereng.

On other considerations, Ms Kereng said the effluent Maun west water treatment plant would be suitable for crop irrigation at the proposed agro-commercial project.

On the other hand, Ms Kereng said Maun east wastewater treatment plant was surrounded by farm lands and therefore effluent from the plant will first be polished at the wetlands before being allowed into an effluent open drain into the Boteti River.

She said the open effluent channel would allow for draw off by farmers in the area to support agro-commercial activities.

Minister Kereng said the wastewater system had been designed to safeguard the Thamalakane River and the socio-economic benefits it brought to the residents of Maun and those in the surrounding villages along the Nhabe and Boteti Rivers.

Specially elected member, Kgosi Oateng Setlhodi had asked the minister to explain how wastewater from Maun sewerage project would be disposed.

Kgosi Setlhodi also asked if the river would be used as a disposal site of wastewater from the project.

Furthermore, Kgosi Setlhodi also wanted to establish the implications of the project on communities who largely depended on the water from the river for their livelihoods.  ENDS