GEORGE NEWS - The water quality in the Touw River in Wilderness is being monitored after dead fish were found in the river. SANParks rangers patrolled the river on 11 and 12 July and took samples after five dead spotted grunters were found.
SANParks tested for E-coli, ammonia and low oxygen levels.
A sewage spill was reported on 10 July at the Anchorage Pump Station about 45m from the Touw River following an electrical failure. George municipal laboratory technicians have been on site to take samples to determine the condition of the river and the results are being awaited.
Pragmatic
Nandi Mgwadlamba, regional communications manager for SANParks: Garden Route National Park, said it takes specialised laboratory work at Onderstepoort in Pretoria to determine the cause of death of the fish.
"The Touw River is a dynamic ecological system and the cycle of life and death is very much part of the system. One has to take a pragmatic approach at times, as we do not always know everything. If there were hundreds of dead fish, there would be a real cause for concern and more intense investigative actions would be taken."
Chemical concoctions
An Anchorage homeowner, Gerrit Groenewold, expressed his concern about how cooking fat can clog up ordinary household drainage pipes. It coagulates and narrows the space for sewage water to flow through.
Because blockages occur fairly regularly, he asked whether installing a kitchen fat-trap system should not become standard procedure to avoid the need for using chemical concoctions to unblock pipes.
Another Wilderness resident said the George Municipality should re-examine the active ingredients in chemicals poured into pipes to dissolve fat.
Groenewold pointed out that the water quality of the Touw river and at the beach plays an essential role in attracting tourists to Wilderness.
"It would be great if SANParks and residents can work closer together to maintain this fragile echo system. We as residents can play an active part to maintain and possibly improve the current situation."
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