Siyancuma: As part of Heritage Month celebrations, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina will today hand over the prestigious World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Award to the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association in Siyancuma Local Municipality, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape.

According to South African Government News Agency, the WHIS award, conferred by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), recognises irrigation structures of cultural, historical, and technological significance. The 134-year-old Douglas Weir, located at the confluence of the Vaal and Orange rivers, was honoured by the ICID last September at its 9th Asian Regional Conference in Sydney, Australia.

The nomination for the award was submitted by the South African National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (SANCID), and the award was accepted by ICID Vice-President and SANCID Chairperson, Professor Sylvester Mpandeli. Since then, the Douglas Weir has been included in the ICID Register of World Heritag
e Structures.

“This is the first time that a South African irrigation structure has received the award since the inception of the WHIS recognition category in 2012. The award will be officially handed to the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association responsible for managing the infrastructure,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.

Following the award handover, the Minister will officially open the refurbished Douglas Water Treatment Works (WTW). The WTW serves as raw water abstraction supply points for water purification and supply to Douglas and surrounding communities.

The R28 million project involved the refurbishment of the ageing water purification plant, which had exceeded its 30-year design lifespan, and included general rehabilitation, the installation of a 200KVA (Kilovolt-Ampere) emergency generator, and expanded treatment capacity. “The plant will filter a total capacity of 4,273 cubic metres per day of purified water to the population of 22,180 persons residing in 4,704 households within
the area of Douglas,” the department said.

After the handover ceremonies, the Minister will engage with local residents and conduct an oversight visit at Douglas Weir. The Minister will be joined by Water Research Commission Chairperson, Dr Rethabile Melamu, and Orange-Vaal Water Users Association CEO, Peter Joseph.