Spillage devastates Edenvale’s river

Following alleged chemical spills, community members and councillors sounded the alarm as a stench filled the air and Edenvale’s river system became an ecological nightmare.

With the recent spills, residents and councillors were up in arms, trying to find the cause of the pollutants.

According to Ward 18 Ald Heather Hart, since the start of the spillages she has been kept in the dark about what exactly occurred.

She was first alerted to the situation by residents of the Riverleigh residential complex at the end of January.

“Initially residents had complained about a white chemical that did not have a too offensive smell. However, there was obvious pollution.”

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Hart said once alerted, the local water quality inspector was called upon to conduct investigations.

“He tracked the pollution up to the Klopperpark area where the investigation was handed over to Germiston. the pollution was tracked further and it went into Kempton Park and the investigation was handed to the Kempton water quality inspector.”

Hart said despite this, no feedback was provided.

“Through the residential grapevine and social media, we learned that a food company was responsible and that they had appointed a cleaning company to clean the pollution.”

Hert said at no point were any of the councillors in the affected areas notified about the spillage or the clean-up.

“It is normal protocol to inform the councillors, but none of the city’s departments bothered to contact us about this disaster which is unacceptable.”

She said while cleanup operations were underway and before they were completed, another spillage occurred into the water system.

Hart said the second spill, which was believed to have occurred at the start of February, was much worse than the first.

“The second spillage started stinking. The entire system from Harmelia to the N3 where it joins the Jukskei was affected. It was evident that within a few days, the birdlife and the aquatic life in Protea Park were affected.”

She said that trying to get information from the City of Ekurhuleni was incredibly difficult.

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“We kept asking questions but got no answers at all. As councillors, we were just advised to go further up the chain of command.”

Hart was advised by Edenvale’s local water quality inspector that the matter was in the hands of the water quality manager of the northern region.

“Besides confirming that the spillages had occurred, she said she could not divulge any information due to protocol and referred me to the divisional head of the water quality division who refused to give me any information.

“It was again stated that it was against protocol and I needed to make contact with the environmental resource management division responsible for rivers.

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“I am appaled that the departments are working in such isolation and making it so difficult for councillors to provide feedback to residents,“ said Hart.

She described the situation as a serious chemical spillage

“We are kept in the dark most ignorantly and I take great umbrage to it.”

Although Hart was informed that the spillage allegedly stopped entering the river system on February 6, she said the damage had already been done.

“I do not doubt that the chemicals have flowed into the Jukskei River past Alexandra and beyond. The alarming situation is that the only ones concerned seem to be the residents of Edenvale.”

A request for comment was sent to the CoE on February 9 requesting comment by February 12.

At the time of going to print no comment was received.