Toxic sewage spill causes a stink
PUBLIC pressure group ReThinkTheStink says the Milnerton Lagoon is turning toxic after yet another sewage spill at the weekend.
The group said a sewage smell started coming towards the lagoon’s mouth and the water began to turn a milky white-grey colour, with the odour growing more pungent.
ReThinkTheStink member Caroline Marx said that given the City’s current directive issued for polluting the Diep River, another major pollution incident was disappointing and upsetting.
The province’s Environmental Affairs and Development Planning issued the City with an official directive in terms of Section 28(4) of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) earlier this year over pollution of the Diep River and the Milnerton Lagoon system.
“There were major spills in Joe Slovo and Woodbridge Island on April 25 and 26, then on April 26 a complaint was made about the stench of sewage generally in the Milnerton area.
“Monday revealed what looked like raw sewage flowing in to the lagoon, and it was escalated to local councillors. The complaint was escalated to (the mayoral committee member for water and waste) Xanthea Limberg.
“The City confirmed that there was a spill and they were investigating, and will communicate the cause later. No communication has been received to date,” Marx said.
She said these major spills were regular, sometimes weekly, occurrences in places, adding that the ecology of the lagoon could not withstand the repeated major sewage spills.
Marx said the City’s apparent inability to stop contamination of the river and lagoon was disappointing.
Environmental activist Peter Walsh said this was the worst spill he had seen in years.
He said the department was responsible for following up on the directive and holding to account those responsible.
Limberg said a task team had located the pollution source from the Joe Slovo/Phoenix area and immediate mitigation and containment measures to address the sewage spill and its impact had been actioned. “The directorate continues work to prevent and minimise pollution. Effluent quality from Potsdam has been brought within acceptable standards, and is not related in any way to the incident in question,” she said.