A quarter of Mpumalanga's sewage plants have not operated for at least two years, while less than a third of those that do work have valid water-use licences, according to Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.
In a written reply to a parliamentary question on Thursday, she said there were 167 waste water treatment works (WWTWs) in the province.
"There are 38 of these WWTWs with valid water-use licences [and] there are 125 WWTWs currently operational."
Mokonyane said 42 WWTWs had not been operational since 2012.
On what was being done about the situation, she said her department was helping municipalities refurbish 13 of the non-operational plants.
It had also applied in July this year to the National Treasury for funds to refurbish and upgrade the other 29.
"The anticipated completion date to refurbish [the] 13 WWTWs... is March 2017, [and] the commencement and completion of the remaining 29 will depend upon response from National Treasury."
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