The department of water and sanitation is cracking down on the sewage pollution problem in the Blue Crane Route Municipality in the Karoo.
Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said it had already taken action and was probing ways to ramp up the pressure.
“The [department] is aware of the complaints in Cookhouse and Somerset East [now KwaNojoli] in the Blue Crane Route Local Municipality.
“The department has issued the municipality with a water service breach of obligation notice in terms of the Water Services Act, for its failure to report multiple sewage incidents and pollution, and noncompliance with authorisations.”
She said the municipality was required by law to inform communities downstream when there was spillage into rivers, to indicate how long the challenge would persist and to outline steps to address the spillage.
“The department has started with the compliance process and has issued notices and directives to the municipality instructing them to correct the situation.
“Where notices and directives are not acted upon, the department will institute legal action against the municipality.”
She said there were limits at present to the support and intervention the national government could launch to rectify a decline in water and sanitation services.
“Therefore, the department is in the process of reviewing the National Water Act and the Water Services Act with a view to strengthen its role as the regulator of water services.
“This includes developing more comprehensive and stringent norms and standards for water service, and standardising regulatory processes, so that they are more consistent with regulatory actions.”
Mavasa said the Blue Crane Route Municipality had confirmed on August 14 that the spillages reported by the community had been plugged, but the department was still monitoring the matter.
“Sewer spillages are a continuous problem in the municipality, and this is due to poor or lack of maintenance [of] infrastructure.
“The department is monitoring the spillages and working with the municipality to commit to correct the situation.”
She said the municipality had three waste water treatment works — one each in the towns of Pearston, Somerset East and Cookhouse.
“All three scored below 30% in the Green Drop Report [Pearston 23%, Somerset East 17% and Cookhouse 17%].
“They are among 334 critical systems and 90 municipalities listed in the Green Drop Report of 2022 and the recent Green Drop Watch Report of 2023.”
A fortnight ago, in KwaNojoli, Beatrice Ngwentle Clinic care worker Althea Yawa described a sewage leak behind the clinic that had persisted since 2019 despite repeated complaints and reports to the municipality.
In Cookhouse, businessman Quinton de Lange described repeated sewage spills pooling up in streets around town as the sewerage system got blocked, pumps failed or pipes burst.
There were long delays even after pollution was reported and, even when the flow was plugged, the stinking residue was not mopped up.
Blue Crane Route Municipality DA councillor Fiona Brown said the underlying problem was lack of consequence management.
She warned that the pollution was going into the Fish River system, which formed part of the Gariep water supply line, thereby threatening the health of users downstream, including in Nelson Mandela Bay.
A senior water and sanitation official who asked not to be named said lack of maintenance and an alleged “don’t care attitude” from municipal officials was to blame.
Cookhouse mayor Bonisile Manxoweni said the main problem was members of the community who stuffed debris into the sewerage system, causing blockages.
He said though spills did occur, the municipality responded efficiently.
HeraldLIVE
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