Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, together with the Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, and Water Research Commission delegates, delivered the prestigious World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Award to the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association, and a newly refurbished Douglas Water Treatment Works (WTW) to Siyancuma Local Municipality, in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality.
The WHIS Award is a prestigious designation given to historic irrigation structures by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), recognizing the cultural, historical, and technological significance of these structures.
The Award was handed over to South Africa during the 9th Asian Regional Conference of ICID in Sydney, Australia, to recognise a 134-year-old Douglas Weir as an engineering marvel that has pioneered irrigation-led rural development in the Northern Cape.
This marks the first win for South Africa since the inception of the WHIS recognition category in 2012.
Douglas Weir was nominated by the South African National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (SANCID), and the award was accepted on behalf of the committee by ICID Vice-President and SANCID Chair, Prof Sylvester Mpandeli.
A weir is a barrier across the width of a body of water that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in water level, and is used to control the flow of water or other water resource structures.
It is located at the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers in Douglas and is now documented in the ICID Register of World Heritage Structures as the world’s oldest irrigation structure with historical context.
Majodina encouraged the Water Research Commission and other stakeholders to use the award as a springboard for the improvement of the lives of the local community, particularly with regard to water supply and dignified sanitation.
She lauded that recognition of Douglas Weir as the best and historical irrigation structure globally was a great milestone achieved.
“I call on the Water Research Commission and different stakeholders to make this site a hub for innovation for water and sanitation projects,” said Majodina.
The call by Majodina to make use of the Weir to create economic opportunities to improve the lives of the people of Douglas was acknowledged and reiterated by the Chairperson of the Board of Water Research Council, Dr Rethabile Melamu.
Melamu said the WHIS Award places them as the third country to ever receive such an award.
The refurbished Douglas Water Treatment Works which Majodina handed over a will serve as a raw water abstraction point for water purification and supply to the town and surroundings.
The Premier said the handover of the Douglas plant demonstrates the government’s commitment to service delivery and sustainable development.
“I should further add that great progress has been made to improve access to clean and drinkable water in the Northern Cape, with 84.4% households having access to safely managed sanitation and approximately 80.1% having access to piped water inside their dwellings. Just over 90% of households in the province rely on other sources such as springs and boreholes,” mentioned Saul.
He also applauded the historic recognition given to Douglas Weir, which contributes to the irrigation of more than 8000 hectares, supporting both crop production and livestock farming.
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