Search warrant issued for treatment works over leachate standard

THE Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has ordered the immediate suspension of millions of litres of effluent from the Shongweni landfill site being discharged into the sea off Merebank’s popular fishing spot Cuttings Beach.

This follows a practice of leachate and the resulting millions of litres of contaminated water being treated and then pumped, through the treatment plant, 4km out to sea, 60m below sea level.

This week the department took the decision that disposal of EnviroServ’s leachate from its Shongweni landfill through the southern waste water treatment plant would be stopped.

“We have advised the municipality to stop taking any more leachate from the Shongweni landfill,” said the DEA ocean and coasts unit’s Natasha Pillay.

City spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa said EnviroServ had “voluntarily stopped tankering leachate to the Southern Waste Water Treatment Works on Wednesday”.

She also said the environmental management inspector had issued a search warrant at the treatment works.

The company’s chief executive Dean Thompson said that EnviroServ, of its own accord, had temporarily suspended tankering of effluent to Southern Wastewater Treatment Works “until such time as we are able to be assured of a consistency in standards”.

He explained that with the accelerated tankering of leachate off site, the pre-treatment retention time on site was reduced, resulting in inconsistent leachate qualities.

“We will now focus on additional pre-treatment of leachate to the required standards by treating in a dedicated tank on site,” he said.