GEORGE NEWS - Concerned resident Jan de Lange took photos of the Kat river where it flows past Heriot Drive in Genevafontein on Friday 9 March. It was a muddy, light brown. He says the previous week it was chocolate brown.

There have been concerns among the Friends of the Kat River that the river water discolouring from time to time is caused by 'backwash' (sludge) from the waterworks landing in the river.

The George Herald asked the municipality if this was the case in this instance, but Civil Engineering Services Director Reggie Wesso said that it was not caused by municipal water treatment operations. "The department visited the site following reports from the media and found the water to be of normal colour."

At about the same time, residents in certain parts of town complained about light brownish (and in some cases also smelly) tap water. The municipality confirmed that it had received complaints from Heatherlands, Groeneweide, Dormehlsdrift, Camphersdrift and Denneoord and attributed it to the fire department that was servicing fire hydrants accross town, an action which "can have a temporary effect".

'Communications breakdown' cause of sewage overflow at Vic Bay

In response to an article in George Herald of 15 March about the most recent sewage overflow at Victoria Bay, Wesso said it was caused by "a bona fide communications breakdown" between the operational teams on

10 and 11 March. "The standby and overtime schedules were recently amended due to operational requirements and there was no one on duty on Sunday 11 March. We are aware of the limited storage capacity of the communal conservancy tank in Victoria Bay that, over the past number of years, had to be emptied every day, and the team to empty the tank on Sundays has been re-established."

The water of the Kat river on 9 March. Jan de Lange, who took the photo, says he unfortunately did not take photos the previous week when it was chocolate brown.

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