Sasolburg Operations is
Sasolburg Operations is only private institution to be Green Drop certified During the launch of the 2022 Green Drop Report by the Department of Water and Sanitation on 1 April 2022, Sasolburg Operations won the award for Best Performing Private Sector system, as well as the award for the Best Progress made by a Private Sector system, improving its score from 86% in 2013 to 96% in 2022. Sasol’s Sasolburg Operations is the only private institution to receive Green Drop certification in 2022 and one of only 23 wastewater systems to achieve this accolade this year. The system was also noted as the fourth best performing system overall. “Our win is a direct reflection of our commitment and resilience in working towards innovating for a better world through all our water initiatives,” said Rightwell Laxa, Senior Vice President of Sasol’s Sasolburg and Ekandustria Operations. The minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, hosted the Awards Ceremony held during the launch of the 2022 Green Drop Report. According to Minister Senzo Mchunu the Department of Water and Sanitation (the then Department of Water Affairs) introduced the Green Drop certification programme in 2008 seeking to protect the environment from the hazards associated with polluted wastewater or sewage. “It sets standards higher than minimum requirements and challenges Water Services Authorities to go the extra mile in a quest for excellence, with the intention to augment and compliment the normal legislative and regulatory provisions,” he said. The programme also seeks to get wastewater treatment works to measure themselves against international risk standards for wastewater quality. According to the 2022 Green Drop report, 995 wastewater networks and treatment works belonging to private and public water services institutions
were subjected to the Green Drop Audit from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. Of these, only 23 wastewater systems scored a minimum of 90% when measured against the Green Drop standards and thus qualified for Green Drop Certification. This is lower than the 60 wastewater systems awarded Green Drop Status in 2013. “I want to single out our Sasolburg Utilities Water and Waste team for securing this prestigious outcome and working so hard that they increased our score from 86% in 2013 to an incredible 96%,” continued Laxa. Obtaining Green Drop Certification is a result of a combination of various water initiatives. One of the most significant being the bio-sludge generated through Sasol’s Sasolburg facilities that is composted and used as a landfill cover. Other initiatives include the extensive three phase upgrades to the municipal water and sanitation pump station systems in the greater Sasolburg area. During phase one R2 million was invested, while the critical mechanical and electrical work at the Gortin and Chris Hani pump stations was valued at more than R3,4 million in phase two. Civil work was also conducted at 11 Metsimaholo Local Municipality (MLM) pump stations. Phase three comprised of critical remedial upgrades and capacity building at the MLM sanitation network valued at R6,2 million, including the electric monitoring of major sewer pump stations in Baddrif, Welgelegen, Leeuwspruit, Leitrim, Gortin 4 and Amelia. “As a company, we are continuously contributing towards the enhancement of water quality in South Africa. However, this certification does not mean that our work is done. Our envisaged outcome for future programmes is to ultimately provide a healthy living environment for the Sasolburg and Zamdela communities by eliminating exposure to raw sewage,” Laxa concluded.
