VIDEO: Shongweni Dam sewage issue impacting on Dusi training
A sample of the water from the Shongweni Dam has been sent to a lab for testing.
WITH just two weeks to go before the Dusi Canoe Marathon, paddlers who use the Shongweni Dam have been forced to train elsewhere following the recent discovery of ‘sewage’.
While tests are being conducted to investigate the recent findings, a resident has claimed the sewage appears to be human waste.
A Pinetown resident, who wished to remain anonymous, submitted pictures and videos to the Highway Mail after assessing the seriousness of the issue during a trip around the dam in a boat.
“We first noticed the sewage on Friday, 30 January. Upon arriving at the dam there was a bad scent, but our thoughts were that it could just be the algae, which was clearly visible throughout the dam from most viewpoints. As we entered the dam on our boat, it became obvious that there were lumps of brown and white excrement floating on the surface. The excrement varied from 2cm in diameter to around the size of a hand. The further into the dam we ventured, the worse it got – the excrement become more evident and the algae thickened,” she said.
According to the resident, the dam itself is clearly filled with algae and waste, but from visitors’ perspectives the wildlife seems to be continuing with life as usual.
“Usually, during this time of the year, the dam is filled with paddlers training for the Dusi Marathon. It was clear on Friday that this problem in the dam has affected the paddlers. As for fishing, several people came down but left immediately after seeing the water,” she added.
eThekwini head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said, “The municipality is aware of this incident at Shongweni Dam. There are no sewer services in proximity to the dam that would cause this type of contamination. The nearest dam is Hammarsdale, but the contamination from there would not present itself as solid waste. It is suspected that someone is offloading their vacuum tanker into the Sterkspruit River, one of the rivers feeding into the dam. The municipality’s pollution chasing team is currently trying to find the source of the pollution to identify the culprit.”
Jeff Cawood, chairman of the Umzinyathi Canoe Club, said, “We had to cancel all the training last Tuesday when we noticed that the river was polluted. A sample of the water has been sent to a lab to determine what is wrong and investigations are currently underway. Training sessions have been moved to the Inanda Dam.”
PR councillor for ward 7, Peter Davis, said, “Shongweni Dam provides recreational activities such as boating, fishing and camping, and has a youth centre there for educational purposes. It appears that the “sewage” (we are not sure yet if it is in fact sewage) comes from the largely informal settlements that lie along the upstream river course that feeds the dam. The algae problem has been there for many years and is one of the reasons the dam’s water is no longer used as potable water (among several other reasons). Rumour has it that the algae has caused illness, but this has never been proved and canoeists who have used the dam for years don’t seem to have been affected.”
