'The spillage took place as a result of [water] reticulation infrastructure failing to cope, simply because of stormwater ingressing into the sewer network.'
But while Umgeni Water CEO Thami Hlongwa admitted that one of the reasons for the problem was insufficient stormwater and sewage infrastructure, the community itself wasn’t immune from blame.
“The spillage took place as a result of [water] reticulation infrastructure failing to cope, simply because of stormwater ingressing into the sewer network. Yes, the sewer network in the Mpophomeni area requires an upgrade, but we also need to do a lot of community engagement and teaching. “One of the things we found in our screens ... we found a whole skinned cow, which means the community are just opening the manholes, and dumping in there, and when it gets pushed by the rains, naturally it gets blocked in the screens and it gets pushed back into the manholes and a spillage occurs. We even found chickens being thrown in there,” he said at the release of Umgeni Water’s 2018/19 annual report in Durban on Thursday.
Screens are installed in water networks to catch debris and prevent it from flowing into rivers and dams - but when the screens are blocked, water cannot pass through them, which causes back-flow and damage to the system. Hlongwa said a new sewage treatment works was planned for Mpophomeni, and wider pipes were being installed, which would reduce the chance of such incidents happening again.“The impact on water quality is quite minimal, but we have to manage the situation to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand - especially because we have heavy rains to come in December,” he said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Midmar Dam sewage spill blamed on cows and chickens dumped into drainsAs sewage continues to spill into the Midmar Dam in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, water authority Umgeni Water has said that communities who dump trash willy-nilly into the stormwater drain system are partially to blame.
Read more »
Midmar Dam sewage spill blamed on cows and chickens dumped into drainsAs sewage continues to spill into the Midmar Dam in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, water authority Umgeni Water has said that communities who dump trash willy-nilly into the stormwater drain system are partially to blame.
Read more »
FAITH MUTHAMBI: Sewage-polluted rivers and white elephantsDilapidated wastewater infrastructure needs to be urgently addressed, and municipalities need to cough up, writes Faith Muthambi
Read more »
MIKE SCHUSSLER: SA must not chicken out of fighting unfair poultry trade practicesThe recently signed master plan is a positive first step towards protecting the local industry
Read more »
KwaZulu-Natal earmarks R30bn for new dams for next 10 yearsTwo new dams, providing a combined 800-million litres of water a day, are set to be built in KwaZulu-Natal over the next decade - at a cost of more than R30bn.
Read more »
Prince Kaybee spills the tea on dating someone with a car & more moneyWhen asked if he felt less of a man because she earned more than him, Prince Kaybee said, 'to some degree'.
Read more »