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The following article appeared in the Witbank News of 27 September 2007. (Reproduced with permission.)
Council is dragging its feet In a letter send to the Emalahleni city council, the municipality is being reprimanded about the sewerage spills in the municipality. "The municipality is dragging its feet in addressing pollution in its area of jurisdiction," reads a letter sent to Mr Anias Langa, municipal manager, by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) on September 17. In this letter Emalahleni (Witbank) DWAF stated that the pollution of water resources is impacting negatively on the health of the public. It further reads: "The municipality therefore leave the department with no choice but to take the issues up with higher authority (legal department)." This letter was discovered just at the right time after an investigation by a journalist from the WITBANK NEWS uncovered a huge sewerage spill in Emahlahleni. The journalist smelled sewerage when residents around sewerage plants kept on complaining of the horrific sewerage smell in the air. Tests done by Regen Waters Laboratory confirmed the worst; there is high levels of faecal Coliform bacteria in Emalahleni's water. When Faecal Coliforms are found in the water it is a warning that sewerage is somehow making its way into the dam and rivers. High levels of Faecal Coliform bacteria increase the risk of waterborne gastro-eneritis. The tests were done at Riverview Sewerage Plant discharge, Springvalley squatter camp, Naauwpoort Sewerage plant and two in the Klein Olifants River at the Old Middelburg Road. Keeping an eye on proceedings were Mr Evan Dauberman (environmentalist), Mr Kgobe Lesiba (Department Water Affairs and Forestry) and Mr Thinus Coetzee (Invico Hazmat Spill Response and Environmental Supplies). Naauwpoort measured 470 Faecal Coliform per 100ml, Riverview Sewerage plant discharge showed over 1 000 Faecal Coliform per 100ml and the first test done on the surface of the Klein Olifants River showed 20 Faecal Coliform per 100ml. The two samples taken from the bottom of the Klein Olifants River and the Springvalley squatter camp had nil Faecal Coliform per 100ml. Mr Ludolf Uys from Regen Laboratories said that in the last two samples no Pathogenic (disease forming) bacteria could be detected. According to the regional Standards of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry waste water or effluent shall not contain more than 1 000 typical Feacal Coliform per 100ml. Ms Elize Joubert, who stays on portion 69 of Farm Naauwpoort next to the Naauwpoort Sewerage plant has been complaining about the situation right on her doorstep since 2001. "I have spoken to so many people at the city council and up to now, have had no response. The situation is getting worse every single second," she said as she pointed to a document where she has written down every date, time and person that she spoke to the past six years. Their borehole has filled up with a muddy sludge since the plant showed the first signs of restraint as it reached its maximum ability to efficiently purify the raw sewerage before it ends up back in Witbank Dam. For Mr Dauberman the Wetlands next to the sewerage plant is a huge headache, as raw sewerage definitely makes its way through this Biologically Productive Ecosystem. Wetlands provide a habitat for a large variety of animals like birds and frogs. Contaminating the Wetland will mean the loss of plant- and animal live. Wetlands are slowly being pushed out of nature because of human development and error, like sewerage spills. Naauwpoort Approximately R5 million is needed to complete the upgrading at Naauwpoort se-werage plant. For the past two years work at the sewerage plant was very slowly. Naauwpoort sewerage plant is currently working over capacity. It needs to run at 10-mega litres a day to accommodate the new housing developments in the Tasbet Park area. In 2005 when the WITBANK NEWS first reported on this problem plant it was only running four and a half mega litres a day. The stench in the air coming from the plant is driving residents in the area up the wall. With the plant not completed yet, sewerage is running from the plant directly into Witbank Dam. Tests done showed 470 Faecal Coliform per 100ml. Riverview More than 1 000 Faecal Coliform per 100ml was measured at the discharge from the Riverview pant into the Olifants River. A closer inspection showed exactly why the plant is not functioning, as it should. The journalist could not investigate the working of the plant further as a worker from the Department of Water and Sanitation, only known as Martha pitched up and in a gentle manner told the journalist, Mr Lesiba Kgobe from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Mr Evan Dauberman an environmentalist and Mr Thinus Coetzer from Invico Hazmat Spill Response and Environmental Supplies that they are trespassing. Armed with enough photos and not wanting to be arrested the party left the sewerage plant. The first problem is at the huge settling tank or clarifier that is not turning. Clarification is employed in the removal of suspended solids and particulate matter, usually in combination with flocculants and coagulants to improve settling. In this process the formation of a type of culture will flocculate naturally and produce a settling sludge and a reasonably clear upper, or supernatant layer. The sludge collected at the bottom of the clarifier is then recycled to the aeration tank to consume more organic material. Because the clarifier is not turning a thick crust of hard sludge has formed on top of the sludge. Normally the clear upper is then send off to the separator. No solids like tampons should be present in the separator. Yet at this plant it makes its way into the separator. *The design capacity at this plant is currently being exceeded, and the plant needs to be upgraded to 17Ml per day. The cost of upgrading and structural changes required will cost approximately R18 million. Bushpump It has been a year since the journalist at the WITBANK NEWS reported that no se-dimentation, filtration or disinfections by chlorination is taking place at Bush Pump station. Raw, untreated sewerage is running directly into Brugspruit, which flows into the Wilge River that runs into Olifants River. Last year already the council blamed theft and vandalism for the problem at the pump station. The council's response then was; that financial restraints stops them from posting a security guard at the pump station to protect the council's property. Eight months later Mr Anias Langa, municipal manager of Emalahelni City Council on July 27 was once again made aware of the crisis at the pump station when Department of Water Affairs (DWAF) brought it under his attention. He wrote to Mr Mr Lesibe Kgobe from DWAF in a response to their directive and stated measures to stop the pollution at Bush pump station in Ferrobank is enjoying the council's undivided attention. He mentioned in his letter the raw sewerage overflow from the pump station has been stopped by replacing a new cable from the pump to the electrical distribution box and there is no contaminated surface run-off occurring. He indicated that cleaning and rehabilitation measures are in process. The council will be getting a quotation to fence the pump station and post a security guard there. Langa also said the municipality has appointed consultants to evaluate and assist on the overall sewerage pump situations in the municipality. This however has not been confirmed yet. On August 17, DWAF once again paid a visit to the pump station and nothing that was promised had been done yet. DWAF found a manhole next to the South African Breweries that was blocked causing spillage of raw sewerage into the channel leading to Brugspruit. Bush Pump station was not functioning, resulting in the blockage of the manholes and leading to the overflowing of raw sewerage in the spruit. Mr Khobe is very concern about the significant flow from the non-functioning pump station into an illegal storm water trench. He stated: " The pump station's function is to pump sewerage to Ferrobank Sewerage Treatment Works and not into storm water canals." |
