Concern over water treatment
A sample of water from the Komani Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM), has shown that raw sewage is running into the Komani River.
The sample was tested by East London’s Monitor Laboratories and indicated that it was equivalent to “raw, untreated sewage”.
The test results showed that the final effluent to the Komani river was 792,000mg/l of faecal coliforms which was far above the general limit of 1,000mg/l.
The Rep recently visited the WWTW plant and discovered the tanks in which raw sewage would normally be treated, were dysfunctional.
An employee at the plant, who did not want to be named, claimed the aerators had not been working and that the settlement tanks were filled with sludge.
When The Rep visited the plant, Mfuraa Projects staff were on site working on the tanks.
They said they were cleaning three sludge tanks which had been clogged.
According to information obtained, the sewage tanks are supposed to be aerated indefinitely to keep the bacteria alive which eats up the organic material.
DA councillor Chris de Wet, who took the water sample, said since the district municipality took over the sanitation function, the situation at the WWTW had become worse.
“People who live close to the area have become sick because of the bad smell. When you drive along the R67 between Komani and Whittlesea, you can smell it and that is unhealthy.
“The leadership at Chris Hani does not care about the people’s health, they only took over the sanitation function so they could squander municipal money. The raw sewage that flows into the Komani River has killed a number of fish. I understand that thugs stole vital components that keep the machines working, but guarding this place is their responsibility.”
CHDM spokesperson Thobeka Mqamelo said the malfunction in the WWTW ensued from an extremely destructive act of vandalism that had taken place.
Critical cable connections were cut and stolen and metal components, such as screens, motors and pumps, were removed.
“A full assessment of the site revealed further damage emanating from the act, as more iron or metal elements were missing. This left the site dysfunctional, but CHDM has appointed a service provider to reinstate all the malfunctioning components. The contractor is on site working and security has also been enhanced.”
Mqamelo said the district municipality had contractors who were responsible for the supply of chemicals when required.
“This has assisted us to ensure swift turn-around times. However, with regard to this particular case, the erratic functioning of the plant results in effluent spills and the plant is still under repair.”
Mqamelo said the district municipality was faced with a major challenge of vandalism at all its plants and continued to inject more resources towards securing and replacement of stolen parts.
“This has had a negative impact on water and sanitation service provision. Hence we have resolved to reinforce security. A contractor is on site working to rectify the damages. We hope to have a system that runs well in due course.”