Ninety out of 175 rivers in the Durban area have very good or fair water quality, eThekwini’s water and sanitation department says.

The Umgeni River, plunging down the Howick Falls for 365 feet, [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 28 July 2011

Ninety out of 175 rivers in the Durban area have very good or fair water quality, eThekwini’s water and sanitation department says.

The Umgeni River, plunging down the Howick Falls for 365 feet, revealed good water quality

The water classification at 90 river sites in the eThekwini municipal area were either “near natural” or “good” or “fair” following an aquatic bio-monitoring programme to determine the state of the health and integrity of rivers.

Those involved in the programme studied the state of living organisms in the water.

“We are looking at life in the water… which is an indication of water quality,” said project executive Selva Mudaly.

The water quality in Umdloti river, north of Durban, was “good to near natural”, while Umgeni and Umlazi rivers both had good water quality.

Out of the 175 sites tested, 85 rivers had either “fair”, “poor” or “very poor” classifications.

Mudaly said the worst affected rivers were Isipingo, Umkhumbane and Umhlangane rivers.

The water quality was bad, mainly because of the rivers being near industrial areas or informal settlements with a lack of proper sanitation, and waste water taps running into rivers.

Mudaly said the best way to fix the problem would be re-housing the areas and ensuring people had access to proper sanitation.

But he said eThekwini was also in the process of moving people away from the rivers because often pit latrines would be built on the riverbanks, causing sewage to leak into the water.

- Sapa

The country’s water crisis is past the eleventh hour as red-tape and interdepartmental bureaucracy remain major stumbling blocks to addressing the problem, trade union United Association of SA (UASA) said on Wednesday.

“Since March [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 25 November 2010

The country’s water crisis is past the eleventh hour as red-tape and interdepartmental bureaucracy remain major stumbling blocks to addressing the problem, trade union United Association of SA (UASA) said on Wednesday.

“Since March this year, it has taken the trade union UASA three well-publicised high-level seminars, an authoritative impact study, numerous meetings and a Section 77 application at Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council) to bring home the message that South Africa is facing a gigantic water crisis,” the union said in a statement.

The union said its water security crusade, labelled “H2O 4 Life”, has “awakened” government, organised business and others to the harsh reality that acid mine drainage and the dumping of sewage and industrial pollutants in “meagre” sources of fresh water were threatening the country.

The next meeting, where government, business and organised labour will continue their discussions was due to take place between December 1 or 2.

Cabinet has since appointed an interministerial task team to investigate the matter and to come forward with recommendations. The task team’s report, which was due to be tabled in October, has not yet been tabled.

“We’re past the eleventh hour already and if urgent measures aren’t taken immediately, it will result in reactive rather than proactive measures – trying to limit the damage instead of preventing it,” the union said.

“…Urgent steps needed to be taken by the government departments concerned. Unfortunately red-tape and interdepartmental bureaucracy seem to have been major stumbling blocks since then.”

Various organisations have raised concerns over the build-up of contaminated water from mining activities in recent months.

According to a report titled “Integrated water quality management for the Vaal River System”, Gauteng could lack sufficient drinkable water in five years due to acid water running from mining activities to the Vaal Dam.

The report, suggesting a number of measures that can be taken to alleviate the situation as a matter of urgency and was complied by a number of bodies including the government, Eskom, Agri SA and Chamber of Mines.

- Sapa

South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to implement the Blue Flag programme and it was launched here in November 2001 as part of the South African Government’s CoastCare initiative. Since 2001, [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 30 October 2010

South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to implement the Blue Flag programme and it was launched here in November 2001 as part of the South African Government’s CoastCare initiative. Since 2001, the Blue Flag programme has become a truly global initiative with over 42 countries participating and a further seven countries undertaking the feasibility stage.

Camps Bay beach

27 South African beaches (listed at end of article) have achieved world-class standards during the past season and have been adjudicated by both a South African and an International Blue Flag Jury to meet the standards of excellence Blue Flag beaches must achieve.

“The success of the Blue Flag programme in South Africa over the past 10 years can be attributed to the commitment of participating municipalities to provide beach-goers and holiday-makers with world class beaches offering safe, clean and well-managed facilities,” said Alison Kelly, WESSA’s Blue Flag Program Manager.

“The municipalities managing Blue Flag beaches are showing that high levels of excellence and delivery of services to benefit both local and international visitors are possible. Blue Flag as an organised and internationally managed accreditation programme provides a viable system for service excellence on our coastline and those municipalities receiving accreditation today should be acknowledged for what they have achieved” Kelly said.

An ongoing challenge for many South African beaches will be the need to manage the damages caused to infrastructure and the coastline as a result of changing climatic conditions. Notwithstanding these challenges, municipalities participating in Blue Flag have devoted resources to the rehabilitation of these beaches and the standards necessary to fly the Blue Flag have been quickly re-established.

Blue Flag as an environmental programme also brings significant benefits in terms of improved environmental management of our coastline. This is clear in the highlighting of issues relating to bathing water quality and the need to ensure that infrastructure is effectively managed to minimize impacts on coastal environments. A significant potential threat to Blue Flag sustainability into the future will be the potential negative impacts of land-based pollution on sea bathing water quality.

“We are noticing slow deterioration in bathing water quality along most of the coast and this appears to be related to poor sewerage and stormwater management within the broader catchment that leads to the beaches,” said Kelly. She noted that water quality in rivers and estuaries is deteriorating markedly.

“The release of the Green Drop report earlier this year highlights the very real challenges this country faces in managing waste water management systems and the need for us to ensure that the necessary skills and technical ability is in place at local government level,” Kelly said.

The South African beaches that have received Blue Flag accreditation for the 10th year of Blue Flag in South Africa are:-

MacDougall’s Bay, Port Nolloth
Yzerfontein Main beach, Yzerfontein
Clifton 4th beach, Cape Town
Camps Bay, Cape Town
Muizenberg, Cape Town
Strandfontein beach, Cape Town
Mnandi beach, Cape Town
Bikini beach, Gordon’s Bay
Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus
Hawston beach, near Hermanus
Grotto beach, Hermanus
Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai, Southern Cape
Witsand at the mouth of the Breede River
Santos beach, Mossel Bay
Hartenbos beach, Mossel Bay
Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay
Dolphin beach, Jeffrey’s Bay
Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth
Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth
Kelly’s beach, Port Alfred
Kariega Main beach, Kenton-on-Sea
Umzumbe (Pumula) on the south coast Kzn (new)
Lucien beach near Margate (back in the programme)
Trafalgar beach, south coast Kzn
Marina beach, south coast Kzn
Ramsgate beach, near Margate
Margate beach

A double whammy from the pollution legacy of more than 100 years of gold mining on the Witwatersrand, and inadequately maintained sewage works could leave South Africa’s economic heartland facing a water crisis of epic [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 06 July 2010

A double whammy from the pollution legacy of more than 100 years of gold mining on the Witwatersrand, and inadequately maintained sewage works could leave South Africa’s economic heartland facing a water crisis of epic proportions within two years if drastic interventions by the government and industry are not urgently put into place. The cost involved could be in the order of R500 billion, but if left unattended, the looming pollution crisis could hamstring growth and cause a plague of health problems.

The Witwatersrand basin contains porous, sponge-like dolomitic rock

A report with recommendations from the Chamber of Mines more than 60 years ago to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, aimed at securing the quality of South Africa’s water resources, went by unheeded.

The Jordaan Commission warned eight years later in 1960 about imminent problems concerning the increased levels of iron, sulphates and manganese.

The recommendations made at the time did not receive any serious attention from the government of the day.

Now environmentalists warn that without urgent action, mine water as corrosive as battery acid will gush from Joburg’s Wemmer Pan and seep into the city’s streets and gardens within two years. Among others, the integrity of buildings in the central business district could be threatened.

Read full article here: Leadership online
Read related article: Toxic minerals and acids at dangerous level

WATER DEPARTMENT MOVES TO CURB POLLUTION OF WATER SOURCES

The Department of Water Affairs has noted with concern recent media reports of an environmental lobby group -the Environment and Conservation Association, which is said [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 29 June 2010

WATER DEPARTMENT MOVES TO CURB POLLUTION OF WATER SOURCES

The Department of Water Affairs has noted with concern recent media reports of an environmental lobby group -the Environment and Conservation Association, which is said to be preparing to bring criminal charges against Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica for apparently not attending to the pollution contaminating the Hartbeespoort Dam.

A view across the dam at Hartbeespoort. Photo by 'crafty1tutu'.

The department views this as an unfortunate course of action in the light of the work that the department is doing to remedy the situation not only in the Hartbeespoort Dam but in tackling pollution generally in the entire country. “The issue of pollution in our water sources is a complex challenge that requires the collective effort of everyone in the sector” said Nobu Ngele, the Acting Director General in the department. She said historical challenges such as the state of water infrastructure, inadequate funding and the skills shortage compounded the problem but efforts to collaborate with local government in dealing with the problem are being undertaken vigorously.

Read the full response here
Read: Minister to face charges for failure to protect water resources (17 June 2010)

South Africans could find themselves dining in future on chickens and other animals reared on a protein-rich diet extracted from the local sewerage works.

Researchers at the University of Pretoria and other academic institutions in [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 26 April 2010

South Africans could find themselves dining in future on chickens and other animals reared on a protein-rich diet extracted from the local sewerage works.

Researchers at the University of Pretoria and other academic institutions in the developing world say single-cell proteins extracted from sewage sludge are rich in amino acids, minerals and vitamins and hold “enormous potential” to alleviate severe human malnutrition by lowering the rising cost of animal meat.

Several experiments have already been done in South Africa and Nigeria to fatten up chickens, goats and pigs on food supplemented with extracts from urban sewerage works or dried chicken manure.

This was one of the more bizarre proposals presented to delegates at the Water Institute of South Africa conference in Durban last week by researchers from the University of Pretoria’s chemical engineering department.

A research paper by associate professor Evans Chirwa and masters student Moses Lebitso reports on experiments at the university to feed more than 40 chickens on a variety of diets – including treated extracts from 100 percent sewage sludge collected from the Zeekoeigat sewage works in Gauteng.

According to Chirwa and Lebitso, the chickens raised on 100 percent sludge gained weight faster than a control group of chickens raised on conventional feeds such as fishmeal. They also calculated that it was far cheaper to feed chickens on sewage sludge than fish meal, soya oilcake or lucerne.

It cost the researchers R7,63 to fatten up broiler chicks to a weight of 1,88kg using conventional fishmeal, but only R6,65 to fatten broilers to 1,97kg using extracts from sludge.

One potential problem, they note, is that sludge from city sewage works often contains toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewater, including lead, manganese, copper, cadmium and zinc.

It was therefore important to “remove or reduce” the heavy metal content to levels which complied with allowable or tolerable levels before feeding the sludge to animals.

To extract protein-rich cells, they heated the sludge at high temperature and the resulting material was dipped in nitric acid, perchloric acid, citric acid or hydrochloric acid. Although some of the nutritional value of the sludge proteins was destroyed during the process to remove heavy metals, the resultant extracts still contained high levels of amino acids.

Thereafter the broiler chicks were fed on five different diets, varying between no sludge and 100 percent sludge extracts.

Lebitso noted that providing good air quality for the chicks was critical to ensure they had sufficient oxygen and that they were “gently placed” into the brooding area as soon as possible after arrival.

“The birds also had unrestricted access to a supply of fresh, good quality clean water at all times.”

The researchers note that almost 8 million metric tons of animal feedstock is needed every year in South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana, and that as a fast-growing developing nation, the rising cost of importing animal feeds could be reduced by harvesting proteins from local sewage works and using them as supplementary feed.

While some meat-eaters may cringe at the thought, the concept is not unique. Several similar experiments have been done at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria since 1986.

Some of these experiments involved feeding chickens with dried chicken excreta, while goats and pigs were fed dried, activated sewage sludge.

According to a paper published by Ibadan University animal sciences researcher Anthony Ologhobo in 1989, there were noticeable taste differences among broiler chicks fed on both dried chicken droppings and sewage sludge.

While there were “no significant differences in cooked meat texture, tenderness or juiciness” between the control animals and manure-fed animals, the taste-scores were much higher for chickens fed on a conventional diet compared to chickens raised on a 10 percent mixture of chicken droppings and urban sewage sludge.

Source: iol

“Your department has let South Africa down, and seriously so,” Democratic Alliance MP Annette Lovemore told Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica.

Lovemore, speaking during debate on the water affairs budget vote in the National Assembly, [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 16 April 2010

“Your department has let South Africa down, and seriously so,” Democratic Alliance MP Annette Lovemore told Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica.

Lovemore, speaking during debate on the water affairs budget vote in the National Assembly, called on the minister to show “vital, critical and urgent leadership to address the current shocking level of mismanagement of our water resources”.

Excessive concentrations of nutrients stimulates algal growth resulting in the decrease of water quality and the emergence of harmful algal blooms.

Ground and surface water quality in South Africa was deteriorating fast, and people had died after drinking polluted water, she said.

“Animals in the Kruger National Park and ecosystems across the country are under threat. Tourism is compromised by the eutrophication of rivers and dams. Water treatment costs are escalating due to poor raw water quality.

“Farmers are unable to irrigate with polluted river water. The availability of water to sustain economic development and human and environmental health is diminishing. Opportunities are being seriously undermined,” Lovemore said.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa told MPs they were sitting on a time bomb.

“The current budget does not address the need to bring the previously neglected areas of the country onto the same level in terms of water infrastructure.

“We are sitting on a time bomb. This is a water-scarce country with a growing population and outdated infrastructure designed to serve a small portion of citizens who live in the privileged areas.”

Holomisa said government had failed in the past 15 years to bring the infrastructure in underprivileged areas on a par with privileged areas.

A drive through provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape revealed the “apartheid topography” of these regions. Access to clean water was a basic human right, but it did not exist in many rural communities.

“Billions are being spent on expanding or maintaining infrastructure inherited from the old regime. On the other hand, the infrastructure where the majority live is sorely neglected.

“This lies at the root of the violent community protests that we witness across the country. People are not blind to the disparities,” Holomisa said.

Lovemore angered Sonjica, prompting her to rise on a point of order and object to Lovemore’s quoting from the Green Drop Report, a national survey of municipal wastewater treatment plants that— after several delays—is now set to be released on April 28.

“I still have to give authority to release the report,” Sonjica said.

But the minister’s objection was over-ruled, and Lovemore informed the House the document had found sewage treatment plants around the country, with few exceptions, were in dire straits.

According to it, only 7.4 percent of the plants surveyed had actually achieved Green Drop status, while the balance did not comply fully with the requirements for safely and properly treating sewage.

“Alarm bells, minister, are ringing. Regrettably, the competence to respond to these alarm bells simply does not exist,” Lovemore said.

She further told Sonjica she was getting bad advice.

“Your internal advisors, with a few exceptions, are letting you down,” Lovemore warned.

Her DA colleague, Gareth Morgan, called on Sonjica to apply the provisions of the Water Act and get strict with non-compliant municipalities and not merely issue them with non-compliance notices.

“The Act does allow for the provision of notices and directives to allow a transgressor to rectify the non-compliance, but the big stick of criminal charges against municipalities that continually transgress is being avoided by the department,” he said.

Morgan also warned that eutrophication levels in South African dams were among the highest in the world. Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients, and the reason many reservoirs around the country often appear bright green.

“Our eutrophication levels are among the highest in the world, and there are at least 19 major dams that are either eutrophic or incipient eutrophic,” he said.

- Sapa

A new warning has been issued to the public not to swim or fish in the Swartkops River as the water quality has deteriorated further.

Swartkops River Mouth. Photo by Graham Hobbs.

Last month, [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 02 April 2010

A new warning has been issued to the public not to swim or fish in the Swartkops River as the water quality has deteriorated further.

Swartkops River Mouth. Photo by Graham Hobbs.

Last month, the 2010 Redhouse River Mile had to be moved from the Swartkops River to Cannonville on the Sundays River due to dangerously high levels of pollution.

Jenny Rump of the Zwartkops Trust said yesterday that effluent had been flowing into the river for days because broken sewerage pipes had not been repaired. “The trust has received complaints from the residents of Aloes and Wells Estate that sewage has been running past their houses.

“It has been flowing in their streets for days now,” added Rump, The Herald General Motors Citizen of the Year. “This is dangerous for the people’s health. They have to live with the sewage smell for days,” she said.

Rump said the Swartkops River, popular among swimmers and anglers, attracted a lot of visitors over the Easter weekend. Some of the stormwater drains that run through Wells Estate, which borders the sea, were broken, Rump added.

The deluge of litter that comes from the drains also joins the Swartkops River, causing two types of pollution.

“Sewage sometimes also bubbles onto the streets of Motherwell, apparently from collector stations where pumps have broken down, and then finds its way via the stormwater drains into the river,” she said.

Municipal spokesman Kupido Baron could not comment last night on the latest pollution development at the Swartkops River. “All I know is that we have been working on the issue since the time the River Mile event scheduled to take place there had to move.

“I know there is a strategy in place, and we have weekly testing of the bacteria level at the river,” he added without disclosing the nature of the plan.

Source: Weekend Post

The Western Cape needed at least R16 billion to wipe out its water and sewage infrastructure backlog, the province’s local government minister Anton Bredell said on Wednesday.

Western Cape

Introducing his budget vote [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 24 March 2010

The Western Cape needed at least R16 billion to wipe out its water and sewage infrastructure backlog, the province’s local government minister Anton Bredell said on Wednesday.

Western Cape

Introducing his budget vote in the legislature, he said his department had made “good progress” on a bulk infrastructure master plan for water and sanitation for the province. “We have completed a preliminary report that says we need at least R16 billion to address the backlog,” he said.

“We have finished a financing report that says that we need more funding from national government, but it also says that municipalities need to make better use of their existing revenue sources.”

The final plan would set out what had to be built, how much it would cost, how many people had to be trained to operate it, and how it would be funded.

Bredell said he was deeply concerned about how much it cost to run a municipality and deliver services.

The determination of annual increases in salaries and wages was out of the hands of local municipalities. From June 1 last year to July 1, 2011, salaries and wages of local government staff would have increased by between 35 and 38 percent. Senior managers would no doubt demand similar increases.

This left municipalities with no alternative but to increase their rates, tariffs and service charges. “We must review the manner in which Salga [the SA Local Government Association] negotiates on behalf of local authorities because we cannot continue along what is clearly an unsustainable path,” he said, in a reference to wage talks.

“We must also assess the methods that we use to assess property rates, because this must be fair and must ensure that we do not chase people out of their homes.”

Sapa

The statistics are stark: Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged into the world’s waterways and at least 1.8 million children under five years-old die every year from water related [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 22 March 2010

The statistics are stark: Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged into the world’s waterways and at least 1.8 million children under five years-old die every year from water related disease, or one every 20 seconds.

Transforming wastewater from a major health and environmental hazard into a clean, safe and economically-attractive resource is emerging as a key challenge in the 21st century.

It is a challenge that will continue to intensify as the world undergoes rapid urbanization, industrialization and increasing demand for meat and other foods unless decisive action is taken says a new United Nations report released today.

Urban populations are projected to nearly double in 40 years, from current 3.4 billion to over six billion people – but already most cities lack adequate wastewater management due to aging, absent or inadequate sewage infrastructure.

The new report, called Sick Water?, says some two million tons of waste, estimated to equal two or more billion tons of wastewater is being discharged daily into rivers and seas spreading disease to humans and damaging key ecosystems such as coral reefs and fisheries.

Wastewater is a cocktail of fertilizer run-off and sewage disposal alongside animal, industrial, agricultural and other wastes.

The report says that the sheer scale of dirty water means more people now die from contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence including wars. Dirty water is also a key factor in the rise of de-oxygenated dead zones that have been emerging in seas and oceans across the globe.

Read the UNEP News Release
Read the full report (PDF 6mb)