President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday welcomed the completion of Phase 2 of Rand Water’s Station 5 water purification plant at the Zuikerbosch water treatment works in Vereeniging, one of the largest water purification projects of its kind.

Station 5 is one of Rand Water’s flagship bulk water augmentation projects, adding 600-million litres a day of capacity to the 158-million a day already in use.

In efforts to augment water supply, ensure sustainable water supply and to meet current and future demands, Rand Water started construction in 2019 on the new purification plant at the existing Zuikerbosch plant, as part of the water utility’s efforts to meet growing demand and ensure sustainable water security.

The Station 5 plant was divided two phases, with Phase 1 completed in 2023, adding 150-million litres of water a day. The completion of Phase 2 added another 450-million litres a day, totalling to 600-million additional litres of water for users.

The project enabled Rand Water to create 871 jobs in communities and award work packages to 48 small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs), totalling R177-million, over the past six years.

The SMMEs were contracted to provide services such as bedding, backfilling, fencing, site security and other construction works.

More than 2 100 community members in Rand Water’s areas of operation have been trained in construction trades, including steel fixing, bricklaying, welding, electrical and many related trades.

The completion of Station 5 signals South Africa’s capacity to deliver complex, high-impact projects that respond to the demands of a growing population, Ramaphosa said, adding that the construction of solid infrastructure is the foundation of long-term economic empowerment.

“This project supports government’s three strategic priorities: to drive inclusive growth and job creation; to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and to build a capable, ethical and developmental State.”

He warned that what is built needs to be maintained and protected, urging stakeholders to unite against the theft and vandalisation of infrastructure and enforce a culture of consistent maintenance, of timely intervention and of accountability must be enforced.

“We must undertake regular maintenance to ensure that the life-span of our infrastructure is extended. Neglecting maintenance of our infrastructure is a disregard for the people it serves.

“I appeal to all spheres of government present here today to see maintenance not as an expense but as an investment in the longevity of our national assets.”