It is imperative that renovations comply to the Water By-law

Aspects of the updated City of Cape Town Water By-law has raised some queries amongst residents.

With the ever changing weather patterns associated [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 26 July 2011

It is imperative that renovations comply to the Water By-law

Aspects of the updated City of Cape Town Water By-law has raised some queries amongst residents.

With the ever changing weather patterns associated with climate change, Cape Town remains a water scarce region and the City has a responsibility to ensure its water resources are managed effectively, efficiently, affordably and sustainably. Thus, the City is continually looking for ways to improve and enhance water and wastewater management and service delivery to ensure the availability and reliability of its water resources.

All consumers in water scarce areas should be empowered to save water and reduce their water losses/wastage. The City does this in a combination of different ways:- by providing information through various channels (media, bills, community engagement etc.); by utilising legislation (By-laws, policies) to guide or impose certain limitations; and by direct engagement with water users across the city.

There are some 620 000 domestic water connection points in the city. An ideal situation would be that every one of these premises are visited and inspected to indentify and eliminate water leaks and the discharge of stormwater into the sewers. However, the City does not have the resources to do this for every property.

The Water By-law was updated through a fair and open process, which included public participation. During one of these sessions a member of the public recommended that premises be inspected on transfer of ownership for water wastage. This was very well received as, in the long term, this process will help the City to reach all properties and this is why it was incorporated into the Water By-law.

The requirement that a certificate of compliance needs to be provided by the seller is a great benefit to the buyer as they will have peace of mind that their new home/business/office will be leak free and also free from stormwater to sewer discharges, thus helping them to effectively manage their own water use.

Questions have been raised as to why this certificate of compliance is still required when transfer of ownership is from two owners to one, as in the case for example of a divorce?

“The reason why, is that the property may have had several renovations or changes made to it since the original purchase date and, even if the property will be remaining within the family, it is imperative to ensure that this work complies to the new Water By-law requirements,” explained Councillor Shehaam Sims, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services.

“The ‘trigger’ for the certificate of compliance is the passage of transfer through the Deeds Office and all premises, whether domestic, commercial or industrial, now require a certificate of compliance inspection. In these cases any costs incurred to achieve water compliance should be offset over a relatively short period and the transferee, as well as saving water, will also have peace of mind that the property is water compliant,” Sims added.

Any retrofitting or renovation work involving water fittings must be undertaken by a qualified and registered plumber and in compliance with the new Water By-law.

A copy of the by-law (By-law Water 2010) can be found on the City’s website http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Services/Pages/default.aspx
under By-laws.

Over time therefore, when properties are sold, obtaining a certificate of compliance for water installations will become standard practice.

Source:  City of  Cape Town

Installing a grey water system provides safe garden irrigation all year round and saves money and water.

Using grey water for irrigation

Grey water is waste water from baths, basins showers and washing [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 16 April 2011

Installing a grey water system provides safe garden irrigation all year round and saves money and water.

Using grey water for irrigation

Grey water is waste water from baths, basins showers and washing machines, and can be used safely to irrigate lawns and gardens provided certain rules are followed.

Rule 1. The correct choice of washing powders is necessary to avoid harm to plants (also see: Commercial washing powders destroy wetland). The use of a phosphate-free washing powder is required as well as avoiding fabric softeners or sodium hypochlorite, eg Jik. Provided that laundry washing powder is changed to one that is phosphate free, grey water is perfectly safe for all gardens, including fynbos.

Rule 2. It is important to avoid wastewater from kitchen sinks and dishwashers as this wastewater contains detergents that can harm your garden.

Rule 3. When harvesting grey water it is necessary to expel the wastewater to the garden immediately – it may not be stored for later use, as in a short period the grey water turns to black water.

Once grey water has been correctly identified it is re-routed from the gully (sewer) to a small chamber from where it is automatically and silently pumped to the garden for irrigation. This is normally sent to a flexible hose and pyramid style sprinkler, providing up to 6 meters of spray.

A correctly installed system must also be connected to the sewer pipe line. This will ensure that any overflow, e.g. caused by a power failure, will see the grey water sent to sewer.

Water Rhapsody has 18 years of experience in grey water solutions, and provides a complete system installation; leaving you with years of free water and a green, healthy garden.

Tap water in SA could be undrinkable in the next 19 years if the country does not change the way it uses water, or how it treats used water, scientists say.

Already, some of [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 09 March 2011

Tap water in SA could be undrinkable in the next 19 years if the country does not change the way it uses water, or how it treats used water, scientists say.

Already, some of the tap water in SA contains poisons.

Blue-green algae produce toxins that rob water bodies of oxygen.

Poor quality water will negatively affect the economy, curbing the manufacturing sector directly and indirectly, says limnologist Bill Harding. Limnology is the study of freshwater bodies.

Despite Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica promising a turnaround in the parlous state of wastewater treatment almost a year ago, there has been no visible action taken to curb the risk from semi-treated water discharged into SA’s rivers and reservoirs, the scientists say.

Last year’s Green Drop (wastewater quality) report showed that only 32, or 3%, of SA’s estimated 850 wastewater treatment works complied with requirements for safe discharge. The report noted that only 449 of the works had been assessed, with the rest either ignoring, or being unable to comply with, the call to submit to scrutiny.

Only 32 (7%) complied with the Green Drop criteria after being measured for E. coli bacteria, nitrates, phosphates and ammonia and other nasties.

The national Green Drop Programme was launched in 2008 and was meant to cover all wastewater treatment works so as not to harm the water bodies into which they discharge their product.

However, the Department of Water Affairs says it has established an emergency response facility for the worst cases identified in the report. Also, various steps were taken to ensure improvements in the Green Drop performance for the next reporting cycle. The 2011 report would be released later this year, said spokeswoman Linda Page.

Mbangiseni Nepfumbada, acting deputy director-general, says while SA’s water and water treatment challenges are real, scaremongering is not helpful.

“Our biggest problem is the cost of cleaning the water, but … SA is known as a country where you are able to drink water from the tap, unlike in some developed countries. We clean our drinking water to SANS 241 (South African National Standards level 241 for drinking water, meaning the water does not pose significant risk to health over a lifetime of consumption, including during infancy and other vulnerable periods) so that we can safely drink our water. We tell people not to drink from streams.”

SA’s “rigorous” wastewater treatment plant standards are not the problem, says Democratic Alliance water affairs and environment spokesman Gareth Morgan. “The problem is that a huge amount of treatment plants take in more effluent than they were designed for. Our bulk water infrastructure has not kept up with new infrastructure developments.”

Water experts point to the deterioration of municipal -level capacity, especially infrastructure and skills, to ensure water quality, as evidenced by the low participation in the Green Drop reporting process.

SA has an annual water infrastructure maintenance spending backlog of R2,66bn, says business analyst Richard Holden, a member of the South African Association of Water Utilities.

Dr Harding says treatment works should be upgraded in Gauteng first because it has the widest eutrophication problem. Eutrophication is the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilisers or sewage.

Eutrophication’s most common symptom is an increase in microcystis, blue-green algae producing toxins that rob water bodies of oxygen, making water sterile. Since 2005 it has caused toxic cyanobacterial “blooms” every year in Gauteng’s Hartbeespoort, Roodeplaat, Klipvoor and Rietvlei dams and KwaZulu- Natal’s Shongweni Dam, says the Department of Water Affairs.

Mr Nepfumbada says the department is reviewing the national water resource strategy, due to be published for public comment towards the end of the year. It also has a Water for Growth and Development Strategy, planning 30 years ahead.

“We can’t develop (our water infrastructure) as we have done in the past …We need to conserve water and manage demand, so our policy is crafted to address the very things these people are asking questions about.”

A big step in the right direction is to promulgate legislation banning phosphorus from fertilisers, laundry detergents and personal hygiene products, says Dr Harding.

This is something the department is “very seriously” considering, says Mr Nepfumbada.

By: Sue Blaine
Source: Business Day

Let algae do the dirty work. Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are developing biodiesel from microalgae grown in wastewater. The project is doubly “green” because algae consume nitrates and phosphates and reduce bacteria [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 17 February 2011

Let algae do the dirty work. Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are developing biodiesel from microalgae grown in wastewater. The project is doubly “green” because algae consume nitrates and phosphates and reduce bacteria and toxins in the water. The end result: clean wastewater and stock for a promising biofuel.

Cold weather is an issue for biodiesel fuels.

The purified wastewater can be channeled back into receiving bodies of water at treatment plants, while the biodiesel can fuel buses, construction vehicles and farm equipment. Algae could replace diesel’s telltale black puffs of exhaust with cleaner emissions low in the sulfur and particulates that accompany fossil fuels.

Algae have a lot of advantages. They are cheaper and faster to grow than corn, which requires nutrient-rich soil, fertilizer and insecticide. Factor in the fuel used to harvest and transport corn and ethanol starts to look complicated.

In contrast, algae are much simpler organisms. They use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy. They need only water—ponds or tanks to grow in—sunlight and carbon dioxide.

“Algae—as a renewable feedstock—grow a lot quicker than crops of corn or soybeans,” says Eric Lannan, who is working on his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at RIT. “We can start a new batch of algae about every seven days. It’s a more continuous source that could offset 50 percent of our total gas use for equipment that uses diesel.”

Cold weather is an issue for biodiesel fuels.

“The one big drawback is that biodiesel does freeze at a higher temperature,” says Jeff Lodge, associate professor of biological sciences at RIT. “It doesn’t matter what kind of diesel fuel you have, if it gets too cold, the engine’s not starting. It gels up. It’s possible to blend various types of biodiesel—algae derived with soybeans or some other type—to generate a biodiesel with a more favorable pour point that flows easily.”

Lannan’s graduate research in biofuels led him to Lodge’s biology lab. With the help of chemistry major Emily Young, they isolated and extracted valuable fats, or lipids, algae produce and yielded tiny amounts of a golden-colored biodiesel. They are growing the alga strain Scenedesmus, a single-cell organism, using wastewater from the Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Plant in Irondequoit, N.Y.

“It’s key to what we’re doing here,” Lodge says. “Algae will take out all the ammonia—99 percent—88 percent of the nitrate and 99 percent of the phosphate from the wastewater — all those nutrients you worry about dumping into the receiving water. In three to five days, pathogens are gone. We’ve got data to show that the coliform counts are dramatically reduced below the level that’s allowed to go out into Lake Ontario.”

Lodge and Lannan ramped up their algae production from 30 gallons of wastewater in a lab at RIT to 100 gallons in a 4-foot-by-7-foot long tank at Environmental Energy Technologies, an RIT spinoff. Lannan’s graduate thesis advisor Ali Ogut, professor of mechanical engineering, is the company’s president and CTO. In the spring, the researchers will build a mobile greenhouse at the Irondequoit wastewater treatment plant and scale up production to as much as 1,000 gallons of wastewater.

Northern Biodiesel, located in Wayne County, will purify the lipids from the algae and convert them into biodiesel for the RIT researchers.

Source: Physorg

By: Mike Muller - Former director-general of water affairs and forestry, a registered engineer and a visiting adjunct professor at the Wits Graduate School of Public and Development Management.

South Africa’s real water crisis [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 17 January 2011

By: Mike Muller - Former director-general of water affairs and forestry, a registered engineer and a visiting adjunct professor at the Wits Graduate School of Public and Development Management.

South Africa’s real water crisis is that the stuff is just too damn complicated. What do you think about when you worry about water? Can you afford to pay your water bill?

There is normally some water in the Komati because downstream Mozambique vigorously defends its rights to a share of their water.

Is the water in the tap safe to drink? Is there even water in the tap? Or perhaps what you really want to know is when you are going to get a tap?

If you run a business, is the quality and reliability of the water good enough for your needs? Do you even know where your water comes from?

Different South Africans face very different water challenges as a few cases will show.

For a taste of an immediate water crisis, start in the municipality of Nkomazi between Kanyamazane, Malelane and Komatipoort. Through the cane fields south of the N4, you are in rural South Africa, with half a million people living scattered across what used to be the homeland of KaNgwane.

There is normally some water in the big rivers, the Komati, Lomati and Crocodile, because downstream Mozambique vigorously defends its rights to a share of their water. That’s just as well because if you ask anyone what their water problems are, you will be told that, too often, the pipes are dry.

Even when the water flows, it may not be safe to drink. Here the problem is not the water resource, the water in the rivers, but rather the water services, the water in the pipes. Even where there is infrastructure, its management is an impossible task in an area with too many users and not enough supply.

If the problem for the rural poor is pipes with no water, the issue the rich people who live around Hartbeespoort Dam contend with is what comes out of the pipes. Once their pristine playground, the dam is now an environmental disaster. It was turning green and smelling bad even before sewage started flowing directly in, when the town pumps failed. But its state now is often unbearable.

Yet for the farmers downstream and the people who live and work among the platinum mines of North West, the dam is part of an infrastructure lifeline that collects Gauteng’s wastewater for reuse. More than half the water in the Crocodile River basin, of which the dam forms part, comes from the Vaal. People might prefer it to be cleaner, but without it, there would be disaster. That is cold comfort for those waterfront homeowners who can’t sit outside for their sundowners because of the stench.

Down at the coast, the water problems of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro are different again. The region certainly has water problems. That’s because the local rivers are simply too small to meet the area’s growing needs, aggravated by the current drought. The city has priority access to a huge supply through massive tunnels from the Orange River.

But because of the cost of bringing it to town, Port Elizabeth’s city fathers always tried to survive using their own resources. Now they’ve pushed their luck too far and are pleading for national subsidies for expensive desalination plants that can be built quickly. The rule is that drought hits places with too little capacity.

Ethekwini is the exception to that rule. Water demand has substantially outstripped supply but a series of good rains has kept the dams full and enabled them to live without restrictions – so far. The city’s water managers got away with it during the World Cup and, if the Spring Grove Dam gets from drawing board to ground in time, they will be safe again.

These examples illustrate the complexities of water and its management. We rely on unpredictable nature for the raw material and on our own ingenuity to manage it. As Hartbeespoort shows, water can be gainfully reused, but do it badly and the solution becomes the problem.

So successful water management is about sound knowledge, long-term strategy, sustained application and commitment. The real water crisis will occur not just if we lose our ability to understand and plan but if, as a country, we turn “Eskom ears” to the technicians and don’t listen to their advice. However, asking questions is the first step. Worrying about what the water crisis is and what can be done will help keep us on the right track.

Source: Business Report

Shoprite Checkers, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, have expressed concern over speculation that a water crisis is looming in South Africa. The three major retailers say they have put in place rigorous measures to [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 04 January 2011

Shoprite Checkers, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, have expressed concern over speculation that a water crisis is looming in South Africa. The three major retailers say they have put in place rigorous measures to ensure their products are safe for consumption and are free of any potential contamination from polluted water supplies.

All suppliers to Freshmark are required to test their water regularly

A Shoprite spokesman said yesterday that suppliers to the group’s fresh produce procurement division, Freshmark, had to comply with a standard of certification regarding farming practices, which included regulations on irrigation water.

The spokesman said the requirements stipulated that untreated sewerage water should not be used and that all suppliers were required to test their water regularly and have the results available for an auditor’s inspection.

“The requirements around the safety of water supplies are critical requirements to be met by Freshmark’s suppliers in order to receive or retain certification. Suppliers must comply with local regulations and standards … on drinking water,” he said.

If suppliers failed to comply, they would lose their certification and would be barred from supplying Freshmark.

The spokesman said the audit involved the testing of produce on a continuous basis in Freshmark’s distribution centres for microbial and chemical residue activity before fruit and vegetables were distributed to Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets.

Justin Smith, the manager of Woolworths’ good business journey, said the retailer’s organic fresh produce was grown without the use of artificial chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, and without the release of harmful chemicals into water supplies.

He said the company measured the amount of water used by suppliers and aimed to reduce water use and improve water waste management during the growing, production and manufacturing phases.

Smith said the retailer’s fresh produce farmers adhered to Globalgap farming practices.

Globalgap is a standard for safe and sustainable agriculture which sets guidelines for environmental, labour and product safety standards.

“Woolworths is also working with other conventional farmers to help them incorporate more responsible farming practices in order to establish a thriving and sustainable microbial population in the soil through the ‘farming for the future’ programme.”

He pointed out that Woolworths had completed a water trial with 66 food suppliers, which had raised issues about run-off water from irrigation practices and waste water from farm processing.

Pick n Pay spokeswoman Tamra Veley said the company was concerned about the water issue. The group monitored all suppliers and insisted on a monthly micro report from suppliers. The micro reports were verified at independent laboratories, she added.

The chief executive of the Agricultural Business Chamber, John Purchase, said in an interview recently that contaminated water was likely to be costly for food producers, retailers and consumers.

As the economy grew, he said, the various industries released more and more dangerous chemicals into the water system.

“Costs for the food producers are increasing because of the need for more electricity and water supply.”

- Sapa

The City of Cape Town recently issued 15 Water Pollution Control Inspectors in the Water and Sanitation Department with Peace Officer status, which gives them the authority to issue spot fines to water polluters.

Wastewater used for irrigation - Dakar, Senegal

Recycling urban wastewater and using it to grow food crops can help mitigate water scarcity problems and reduce water pollution, but the practice is not being [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 11 September 2010

Wastewater used for irrigation - Dakar, Senegal

Recycling urban wastewater and using it to grow food crops can help mitigate water scarcity problems and reduce water pollution, but the practice is not being as widely implemented as it should, according to a new FAO report.

Use of reclaimed wastewater in agriculture has been reported in around 50 countries on what amounts to 10 percent of the world’s irrigated land, according to “The Wealth of Waste: The Economics of Wastewater Use in Agriculture,” published today at the start of World Water Week (Stockholm, 5-11 September).

While on a global scale only a small proportion of treated wastewater is used for agriculture, the practice is winning increased attention worldwide and in a few countries — Spain and Mexico, for example — a high proportion of reclaimed water is used in irrigation.

“The case studies in this report show that safely harnessing wastewater for food production can offer a way to mitigate competition between cities and agriculture for water in regions of growing water scarcity,” said Pasquale Steduto, Deputy Director of FAO’s Land and Water Division. “In the right settings, it can also help to deal with urban wastewater effluent and downstream pollution.”

Farmers would also be able to avoid some of the costs of pumping groundwater, while the presence of nutrients in the wastewater would reduce their fertilizer expenses.

“Properly treated and safely recycled water can potentially offer a ‘triple dividend’ to urban users, farmers and the environment,” said Steduto.

Benefits offset costs

While building treatment and recycling systems that are capable of adequately handling wastewater does involve both capital investment up front and ongoing operating costs, the major benefit of such schemes is likely to be the value of the fresh water freed up for high-value urban or industrial use — this would reduce the cost to municipal authorities of seeking additional supplies via more expensive means.

And costs could be further offset by harnessing biogas generated during intensive treatment as an energy source, or potentially through the sale of carbon credits.

“While re-using wastewater in agriculture is not the only way to tackle problems of scarcity and pollution, it is in many situations an extremely a cost-effective solution, as the growing number of reuse schemes that we look at in this report testify,” Steduto said.

Location is everything

The feasibility of reusing water in agriculture depends on local circumstances and conditions, which will affect the balance of costs and benefits, FAO’s report notes.

Economic appraisal of any proposed projects should be made from a regional basin viewpoint, and it will also be necessary to factor the needs of and benefits to various water users, it says.

“It is unlikely that such schemes could be economically justified with reference only to agriculture,” the report says. “The benefits to urban and industrial users would be relatively sizeable, and in most cases would be the principal justification for the project.”

FAO’s report also stresses that raw or untreated wastewater is inappropriate for use in irrigation — adequate treatment and recycling is always required.

Source: FAO

Statement issued by Annette Lovemore, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be writing to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 30 July 2010

Statement issued by Annette Lovemore, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be writing to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs asking for a precise timetable on the establishment of special environmental courts to enable our legal system to deal with cases warranting special attention.

Polluted water from the Crocodile River flows into Hartebeespoort Dam

While the DA has been lobbying for these courts for some time, a definitive roll-out plan from the minister has become all the more urgent in light of the state of the Madibeng Sewage works which is releasing polluted water into the Crocodile River which flows into Hartebeespoort Dam, one of the principal water sources for many South Africans in the interior of the country.

Our water system is reliant on a complicated system of interconnected networks, the integrity of which need to all be maintained to the highest standards. Any weak component within that system needs to be addressed and those responsible need to answer for failing in their mandate as custodians of our natural resources.

The DA was part of a parliamentary water and environmental affairs portfolio committee visit to Madibeng that took place on 28th and 29th of July. A visit to the Madibeng sewage treatment works  revealed a deeply concerning lack of action, with officials admitting that the plant is so dysfunctional they might just as well switch off the pumps in the plant and allow raw sewage to flow into the already heavily polluted Crocodile River.

The committee was also told that the plant should be receiving approximately 18Ml of sewage per day, and is, in fact, receiving only 4 Ml/day. This means that approximately 14 Ml/day of raw sewage flows through the streets and into the river from the sorely neglected and failing pump stations throughout the area. Alarmingly, three of the pump stations that have failed are now discharging raw sewage into the river at the point where the drinking water supply is abstracted.

Five of the six senior positions in the directorate dealing with water and wastewater are vacant. There is not a single qualified person employed at the activated sludge plant in question.

The Crocodile River flows into the Hartebeespoort Dam – one of the most heavily eutrophied dams in the country, with an abundant growth of highly toxic algae.

Madibeng is currently under administration, but the situation has not improved. A bizarre delusion seems to prevail, with officials believing that they will have achieved Green Drop status for their sewage treatment works by the end of the year.

Sadly, Madibeng is but one of the 47% of South Africa’s wastewater treatment works that received a zero Green Drop score in 2009.

Various officials in the Madibeng Municipality in North West face two separate sets of criminal charges for discharging unpurified sewage into the Crocodile River. The first charge was laid by DA councillor Eddie Barlow in 2009, and the second by the Department of Water Affairs in February of this year.

In both of the criminal cases against the municipality, the public prosecutor has agreed to proceed with the prosecutions. When this will happen is unclear. Disturbingly, the case of 8 current and former officials of Matjhabeng municipality in the Free State who have been charged under the Water Act for not attending to persistent and ongoing pollution events has not been finalised after more than three years.

Clearly, these cases are demonstrable proof that South Africa needs environmental courts that are specifically tasked with dealing with cases such as these in the future.

The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. Officials who are not sufficiently competent to deliver the services that residents deserve must be held accountable.

The Minister, in her budget speech earlier this year announced promising interventions to allow prompt judicial action in criminal cases such as these. No news of implementation of these interventions has been forthcoming.

The DA believes that it is time for the Minister to lay out a comprehensive plan detailing both the budgeting of environmental courts and the date of their implementation. We can only begin to claim that we are defending our water and environmental resources if we match rhetoric with a definite plan of action. I will be writing to the Minister in this regard.

Zijin Mining Group was ordered to halt production after discharges from its copper mine polluted a river and reservoir in Fujian province, the China Business News reported on Friday.

Acidic copper water spilled into [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) - partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 16 July 2010

Zijin Mining Group was ordered to halt production after discharges from its copper mine polluted a river and reservoir in Fujian province, the China Business News reported on Friday.

Acidic copper water spilled into the Ting river affecting water supplies for some 60,000 people.

The leak of wastewater containing acidic copper from its Zijinshan Copper Mine spilled into the Ting river and killed or poisoned thousands of fish early this month, affecting water supplies for some 60,000 people.

The newspaper said environment ministry and provincial officials ordered the shutdown, adding that the company needed a major overhaul of its system to safeguard against spills. It did not say how long output would be halted.

Zijing executives were not immediately available for comment.

Trading in Zijin shares was suspended on Monday, and the Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily on Thursday sharply criticized the company for initially keeping quiet about the spill, which began on July 3 and continued for nearly 24 hours.

Three executives at Zijing were detained by local public securities bureau earlier this week as a probe into the accident continues, the China Business News said.

China has been battling to control the damage to its environment caused by more than three decades of breakneck economic growth, from acid rain to desertification.

The China Daily on Thursday cited a survey in the booming southern province of Guangdong as saying 40 percent of its soil was contaminated by heavy metals, partly caused by the more than 3,000 mines operating there.

The government has also become increasingly worried about public anger at environmental problems, especially pollution.

By: Fang Yan and Jason Subler
Source: Reuters Africa