PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plett might be a small town, but it has made a big name for itself in terms of handling its water.
The Bitou Municipality recently received two awards at the Green Drop Awards hosted by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The accolades were for the manner in which Bitou managed its Ganzevallei and Kurland waste water treatment plants.
"Overall the Bitou Municipality came second in the national awards category and was only defeated by the Witzenberg Municipality," said municipal spokesperson Andile Namntu.
"The margins were quite small and the fact that the winning municipality was scored over three plants makes the performance of the Bitou Municipality even more impressive."
Green Drop certificates are awarded to institutions that manage their waste water treatment plants in a manner that protects the environment and humans from hazards associated with polluted waste water (sewage).
It is an incentive to municipalities to go above the minimum requirements set for the treatment of waste water.
Acting Director of Engineering Services Michael Rhode praised the efforts of the entire water services team for the hard work they put into making sure that the municipality achieved its targets.
He said he believed it was the commitment shown by everyone - from the management team to the lowest-ranked worker in the team - that had ensured the excellent results achieved by the unit.
Bitou Mayor Dave Swart paid glowing tributes to this department during a recent council meeting, in particular the team at the waste water treatment plants.
"Through their dedication and vision to deliver excellence they have managed to put the Bitou Municipality at the top when it comes to delivering services," Swart said.
The team is now looking forward to the Blue Drop Awards ceremony that will be held in March next year. The Blue Drop Awards focus on municipalities that achieve excellence in drinking water quality management.
"The Bitou Municipality already has a very good reputation for the quality of its drinking water, but this will only act as an added motivation to the institution to do even better," Namntu said.
Bitou Mayor Dave Swart celebrates receiving two Green Drop Awards.
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