High court orders Msukaligwa to address water pollution crisis
Maintenance, repair and upgrade of the Ermelo Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) stands at the core of the issue.
ERMELO – The Middelburg High Court has issued a directive to the Msukwaligwa Local Municipality, holding it responsible for a severe water pollution crisis that has plagued the area for years.
The case, brought forth by the minister of water and sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, has shed light on the deteriorating infrastructure affecting essential services.
At the core of the issue is the maintenance, repair and upgrade of the Ermelo Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW).
It was stated in court that as a result of this dysfunctionality, water pumped from the Ermelo WWTW contains exceedingly high levels of E. coli and faecal coliform, which, in turn, is pumped into a nearby stream that feeds directly into the Brummer Dam reservoir.
The reservoir, in turn, supplies bulk water to Ermelo and surrounding areas.
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Furthermore, as a result of general poor maintenance, the manholes in the area are also blocked, causing an overflow of sewage into the stream, which water also flows into the Brummer Dam reservoir.
Highvelder has reported extensively on the municipality, which has faced allegations of inadequate maintenance and operation of the WWTW, resulting in the contamination of water resources with alarmingly high levels of pollutants.
Just last week, this publication also covered FF Plus councillor Shobie Arnoldi, who filed a criminal complaint with the police on September 7.
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Read the complete article in the Highvelder.
