GEORGE NEWS - Many urban rivers in George are often exposed to sewage spills due to ageing infrastructure and malfunctioning municipal sewerage pumps. On top of this, other serious pollutants enter our rivers as well.
Eden and George municipalities issued a joint statement to allay fears about community health and river health issues. Read it here.
After a collapsed main sewerage pipe was repaired in February 2018 on the border of Verne Rabinowitz's Eleventh Avenue Denneoord property, Civil Engineering director Reggie Wesso on 1 March said he would obtain a river sample analysis to show the pipes, which are between 40 and 60 years old, are no longer causing further seepage or pollution.
No results were received despite prompting. The George Herald approached Eden DM for an overview of the state of the rivers in the George district but this was refused. Instead, the parties state,
"Results of the municipality's fixed sampling programme is circulated to Eden DM and is made available to the provincial and national departments on request. The municipality also has a wastewater risk abatement plan, which is submitted to the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation."
Sewerage pumps
Environmentally conscious citizens are alarmed at the time it takes to address technical problems with sewerage pumps, one being in Freesia Street in Wilderness. Another troublesome sewerage pump, on the Welgelegen Estate, was reported on by Alida de Beer on 20 April 2017.
Johan Oelofse (right) and Harriet van Schalkwyk of the Department of Environmental Affairs visited the sewage pump station in Eden last year. They spoke to concerned Eden resident Deon Jurgens about the wetlands there that absorb sewage spills from the pump station, as well as further upstream where the infrastructure is old.
The spills are sporadic but have been going on for a year and led to the pollution of the estate's Modderrug river, which joins the Swart river and flows over the Kaaimans waterfall onto the popular Kaaimans beach picnic area.
A sample taken from Modderrug river was analysed on 30 November 2017 (collected in sterile, quality sealed water bottles; stored in a cooler box and delivered to Mérieux NutrSciences for testing within one hour of collection).
The sample revealed a 1 350 E. coli per 100ml count, which poses a risk of infectious disease / gastroenteritis.
The target water quality guideline for recreational use is < 130 counts per 100ml. This situation has alarmed Welgelegen estate managers, who asked, "Where are the authorities who should be monitoring this? We would like to see the monitoring reports that Eden and George Municipality are sending to Province and Water Affairs."
Budgetary constraints
Wesso says George Municipality acknowledges that several challenges contribute to the risk of river contamination. "This includes ageing infrastructure, above-average population growth and related new infrastructure demand, as well as a significantly understaffed Civil Engineering Services Department combined with major legislative, procedural and budgetary constraints.
George Municipality Civil Engineering head Reggie Wesso.
"That being said, the municipality is adamant that everything that can be done is being done and is making a concerted effort to address contributory factors on several levels."
Lower priority
He confirmed that the upgrade of infrastructure (sewerage pipes in Denneoord) above the relevant section (near the Kat / Mitchell) is included in the municipality's pipe replacement plan, but that it is regarded a lower priority compared to infrastructure near other river systems in the municipal area.
"The (Kat river) wetland system is in the flow of this river and the rivers it feeds into are healthy and relatively efficient in breaking down pollutants."
Water monitoring platform
Responding to the press statement, local scientist and lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, Jackie Dabrowski (Ph.D. Pr.SCi.Nat), aquatic research and consulting specialist, said this is only reassuring if accompanied by monitoring results as backup.
"We may not have reached the tipping point yet. But based on my experience elsewhere in SA on how sewerage problems are usually downplayed or go unnoticed, I would prefer to see the results of a monitoring programme designed to test the capacity of the wetland to assimilate nutrients. Also, the budgetary and institutional complications in both monitoring and repairing sewerage infrastructure are very real.
"No municipality is free from this pressure. Eutrophication (excessive enrichment of nutrients in a body of water, frequently due to run-off from the land or point sources, which stimulates a dense growth of algae or plant life) can happen slowly or quickly.
"Either way, it has the same outcome and it's practically irreversible, so it's not okay if there are regular little inflows. Wetlands can do a good job of taking up nutrients, but their capacity for recycling nutrients is not infinite. So if we are relying on these systems to clean water for ecosystem or human health, they need to be assessed in terms of their capacity to provide these ecosystem services, so we can be sure what we are doing is sustainable."
Senior manager of Eden DM's Health and Environmental Department, Johan Compion.
Dabrowski said she would be in favour of a platform that monitors all water pollution issues in the area and works cooperatively with managers to actively resolve or address them in a scientific way.
"This could take the form of a forum, WhatsApp group, or similar. When it comes to protecting our precious water resources from degradation, we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and hope that what we are doing is sustainable."
Vigilant community
In closing, Wesso and EDM Executive Manager Clive Africa state, "The George and Eden district municipalities are, however, aware of the concern and appreciate the vigilant community living along the river that alerts us to signs of possible pollution. The George Municipality commits to respond to complaints in this section as soon as we are able and the Eden DM confirms that they are mindful of this area as this forms part of its overall monitoring programme."
Joint Press Release George Municipality and Eden District Municipality regarding river quality monitoring and related matters by George Municipality: Director Civil Engineering Services, Reggie Wesso and Eden District Municipality: Executive Manager, Clive Africa:
Relevant officials in the George Municipality and Eden District Municipality have recently met to discuss sporadic complaints and concerns pertaining to the quality of rivers in the George Municipal Area and make the following statement in this regard.
The George Municipality has a legal obligation to monitor river quality up and down stream of the wastewater treatment plants where effluent is discharged into the river. This is done in accordance with the License or General Authorisation applicable for the wastewater plant issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation. While it is not a legal requirement, river samples are also taken up and down stream of pump stations as a management tool to monitor possible pollution from infrastructure.
The roles and responsibilities of the Eden District Municipal Health Services in this regard are:
- Monitoring water quality and availability, including mapping of water sources.
- Enforcement of laws and related water quality monitoring.
- Ensuring water safety in respect of its quality (microbial and chemical) and accessibility to an adequate quantity for domestic use as well as in respect of the quality of water for recreational, industrial and food production purposes, and for any other human and animal use.
- Ensuring water supplies are readily accessible to communities and that the planning, design, management and health surveillance of community water supplies are readily accessible to communities.
- Ensuring monitoring and effective waste water treatment and water pollution control, including the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage water and other water borne waste and control of quality of surface water (including the sea) and ground water.
- Advocacy on proper and safe water and waste water usage.
- Water sampling and testing on the field or in a laboratory.
There are 110 sewage pump stations in the greater George Municipal Area, some of which are situated near rivers and streams. As with any man-made infrastructure, systems can fail and may cause pollution. The George Municipality has identified the most likely places in rivers below pump stations where pollution may occur and samples are taken and tested daily at the municipal laboratory as part of standard operating procedures. When a test sample indicates unacceptable levels of contamination, whether the source is sewage or some other contaminant, the area is treated accordingly as per guidelines of the Department of Water and Sanitation as prescribed in the General Authorisation or License requirement.
Results of the municipality’s fixed sampling programme is circulated to Eden DM and is available to the provincial and national departments on request. The municipality also has a waste water risk abatement plan, which is submitted to the Department of Water Affairs as required.
In addition, the civil engineering department responds to reports of sewage spills from the public. The municipality welcomes, in fact encourages, the public to help look out for sewage spills everywhere, near rivers or not, as alert and attentive residents are a valuable ally in being our eyes and ears – especially in remote areas where hikers and adventure sportsmen may come upon pollution sources that municipal staff may not readily encounter.
Treated effluent from the Waste Water Treatment Works is also flushed into rivers, but have been elaborately treated, complies to quality standards and is not harmful to humans and animals.
The George Municipality acknowledges that several challenges contribute to the risk of river contamination including aging infrastructure, above-average population growth and related new infrastructure demand, and a significantly understaffed Civil Engineering Services department combined with major legislative, procedural and budgetary constraints. That being said, the municipality is adamant that everything that can be done is being done and that it is making a concerted effort to address contributory factors on several levels.
The George Municipality’s Water Services Development Plan is a detailed long-term plan in which the systematic upgrade and expansion of water and sewerage infrastructure is set out and prioritised based on age of infrastructure, amount of people being serviced per infrastructure, current and future bulk needs and funds available. The plan is updated regularly to address changing circumstances. Due to challenges as mentioned above, it is unlikely that the municipality can fulfil its water and sewage infrastructure mandate without outside financial assistance from government grants and legitimate environmental and other initiatives.
Eden DM acknowledges the constraints under which the George Municipality operates and, while it wishes more ideal circumstances with lesser spills and better infrastructure, it takes note that the matter is receiving attention.
George Municipality is investigating ways in which especially the significant financial need for the upgrading of bulk infrastructure can be addressed, which in turn would reduce pollution and ultimately contribute to a better and healthier environment.
The municipalities reiterate that river water is not drinking water, and like any open water source, rivers are susceptible to many natural contaminants including faeces from different species of wildlife and homeless people living in the bushes on the banks of the rivers. We are, however, fortunate that our river systems are supported by healthy wetlands and other natural agents, which play a major role in naturally filtering contaminants long before it lands in water collection points such as the Garden Route Dam.
It should also be noted that the drinking water in your taps is not water directly from the river, and possible river contamination is not directly equal to the quality of the water in the taps.
In regards to ‘independent sampling’:
George and Eden District Municipalities from time to time receive sampling results from members of the public, which they claim prove rivers remain contaminated. While the municipalities do not dispute that the places may very well have been temporarily polluted, they cannot legally accept results of random samples. There are many factors that can affect the results of a testing sample such as the type of sample (bacteriological or chemical); the cleanliness of the sampling container; the sampling site; sampling procedure; laboratory analysis procedure; the laboratory accreditation; the time from sampling to testing; testing conditions and more. Also, from the time that a sample has been taken by a private individual to the time he would receive the results, it is likely that the conditions at the site where sampling was made would have changed – particularly if it was reported to the correct authorities and treated, but also due to weather conditions such as temperature, natural change in river flow after rain etc.)
In regards to the Kat River:
George and Eden District Municipalities from time to time receive complaints from residents living along the Mitchell and Kat Rivers, alleging that the municipalities are not addressing the issues of river quality there.
The George Municipality confirms the upgrade of infrastructure above the relevant section is included in the pipe replacement plan, but that it is regarded a lower priority compared to infrastructure near other river systems in the municipal area – not only because the population density living near the river here is relatively low compared to other riverside residential areas, but also because the wetland systems in the flow of this river and the rivers it feeds into are healthy and relatively efficient in breaking down pollutants.
The George and Eden District Municipalities are, however, aware of the concern and appreciate the vigilant community living along the river that alert us to signs of possible pollution. The George Municipality commits to respond to complaints in this section as soon as we are able and the Eden DM confirms that they are mindful of this area as this forms part of its overall monitoring programme.
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