Re: Pollution of Kruger's Rivers
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 6:19 pm
Sewage spillage threatens the health of residents
Dead fish were recently found in the farm dams supplied by the canals leading downstream from the White River Waste Water Treatment Plant. The reason for this was dysfunctional internal sewerage processes.
7 hours ago
Elize Parker
MBOMBELA – The drought, coupled with poor management of waste water and inadequate maintenance, poses threats to the water quality of the Crocodile and White rivers. A concern expressed by members of the Crocodile River Forum during a recent meeting, was that Kwena Dam was only 22 per cent full.
The prediction from the South African Weather Services is that rainfall for November to December will be slightly higher than normal. Dams in the Crocodile River catchment supplying the Lowveld need more than that. The river water is also contaminated with E. coli because of sewage spillages and disfunctional pump stations.
The forum once again had to take note of the fact that a large percentage of water released into the river by municipal treatment plants is not properly treated. Sewage full of bacteria and pathogens is thus released back into the river.
Dead fish were recently found in the farm dams supplied by the canals leading downstream from the White River Waste Water Treatment Plant.
The White River Conservation Board reported that the water had had a bad smell for over a week. The reason for this was dysfunctional internal sewerage processes.
The above consists of three phases of which only phase three is working. The waste from White River and surrounds that needs to be processed at the plant is 4,5 megalitres per day. Phase three can only handle three megalitres per day. The other two phases have not worked in years. Stinky, contaminated water is released into the river every day which endangers the health of everyone downstream from the plant.
Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM), said phase two was being refurbished and was due to be completed by the end of November.
“The other phases are also budgeted for in the coming financial year,” he said. Since a meeting in June, one of the sewerage pump stations at KaBokweni has been repaired and is operational again. The second station was not working when an inspection was done three weeks ago because CMLM had not paid its Eskom account.
Ngala informed Lowvelder on Wednesday that the pump stations were both working and the account had been paid up to date.
The malfunctioning pump stations have exposed people to raw sewage, which has been flowing down the Nzikasi River along the Kruger National Park’s western boundary for more than a year.
Meetings of catchment forums are public platforms for dialogue around water affairs instituted by the minister of water affairs. During the meeting most members took note that a certain police colonel did not attend despite being invited. Some of the members felt that as an SAPS member, he should attend the meeting as non-compliance with the Water Act is part of their policing duty.
Other members felt that attendance by the media and SAPS would lead to stakeholders not attending the meeting.
One member of the forum said, “If media and SAPS attend it will scare off stakeholders.”
http://lowvelder.co.za/360426/sewage-sp ... residents/
Dead fish were recently found in the farm dams supplied by the canals leading downstream from the White River Waste Water Treatment Plant. The reason for this was dysfunctional internal sewerage processes.
7 hours ago
Elize Parker
MBOMBELA – The drought, coupled with poor management of waste water and inadequate maintenance, poses threats to the water quality of the Crocodile and White rivers. A concern expressed by members of the Crocodile River Forum during a recent meeting, was that Kwena Dam was only 22 per cent full.
The prediction from the South African Weather Services is that rainfall for November to December will be slightly higher than normal. Dams in the Crocodile River catchment supplying the Lowveld need more than that. The river water is also contaminated with E. coli because of sewage spillages and disfunctional pump stations.
The forum once again had to take note of the fact that a large percentage of water released into the river by municipal treatment plants is not properly treated. Sewage full of bacteria and pathogens is thus released back into the river.
Dead fish were recently found in the farm dams supplied by the canals leading downstream from the White River Waste Water Treatment Plant.
The White River Conservation Board reported that the water had had a bad smell for over a week. The reason for this was dysfunctional internal sewerage processes.
The above consists of three phases of which only phase three is working. The waste from White River and surrounds that needs to be processed at the plant is 4,5 megalitres per day. Phase three can only handle three megalitres per day. The other two phases have not worked in years. Stinky, contaminated water is released into the river every day which endangers the health of everyone downstream from the plant.
Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM), said phase two was being refurbished and was due to be completed by the end of November.
“The other phases are also budgeted for in the coming financial year,” he said. Since a meeting in June, one of the sewerage pump stations at KaBokweni has been repaired and is operational again. The second station was not working when an inspection was done three weeks ago because CMLM had not paid its Eskom account.
Ngala informed Lowvelder on Wednesday that the pump stations were both working and the account had been paid up to date.
The malfunctioning pump stations have exposed people to raw sewage, which has been flowing down the Nzikasi River along the Kruger National Park’s western boundary for more than a year.
Meetings of catchment forums are public platforms for dialogue around water affairs instituted by the minister of water affairs. During the meeting most members took note that a certain police colonel did not attend despite being invited. Some of the members felt that as an SAPS member, he should attend the meeting as non-compliance with the Water Act is part of their policing duty.
Other members felt that attendance by the media and SAPS would lead to stakeholders not attending the meeting.
One member of the forum said, “If media and SAPS attend it will scare off stakeholders.”
http://lowvelder.co.za/360426/sewage-sp ... residents/