Eco crisis continues

“Nearly every one of our rivers are polluted to the point where the only organisms left in the water, are those associated with sewage.”

These are the words of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Monitoring Forum spokesperson Trevor Brough who is making it his business to avert the ecological disaster that is looming throughout the Crocodile River catchment area.

The Crocodile River catchment includes Krugersdorp and Muldersdrift, and extends throughout the Northside and beyond, to the Hartbeespoort Dam and beyond.

The forum was started initially with the aim of monitoring and reporting on the effects of AMD but has since widened its scope to include other water pollution, specifically incidents of sewage spillage and chemical pollution of rivers and streams.

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According to Brough, there has been some movement about the massive problems at the Percy Stewart Waste Water Treatment Works in Krugersdorp, though nothing official has been communicated by the powers that be.

“We’ve received information that the manager at the Percy Stewart plant has been let go, and also that various others are under investigation.”

Brough has been doing regular site visits all along local springs including the Bloubankspruit, the Muldersdrift-se-loop and others, conducting water tests, and even taking Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) representatives among others along with him.

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“Our efforts are making an impact, and we are seeing interest from the officials and scientists to do something about this. Unfortunately, we are not seeing any real interest from the authorities at ground level.”

The Roodepoort Northsider has previously reported on the devastating effect the massive sewage spillage from this facility has on residents and businesses.

“This water is used for irrigation, it is consumed by livestock, and it supports a large number of businesses in the tourism industry,” says Brough. “Our tests indicate that the water along the Bloubankspruit, into the Crocodile River, all the way to the Hartbeespoort Dam is unsafe for both humans and livestock.

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“If something is not done about this quickly, the consequences could be dire. We are talking about the destruction of the entire ecosystem along the river, the demise of many businesses and the loss of dignity for thousands of people.

“It does not only affect the business owners but also the people that flock to this area on weekends visiting markets, restaurants and pleasure resorts.”

According to Brough, residents of Krugersdorp and the greater Roodepoort region traditionally flocked to Magaliesburg over weekends in search of leisure activities.

“With the worsening condition of roads and infrastructure in the Magaliesburg region, this trend has shifted, and many residents now consider Muldersdrift, all the way to the Hartbeespoort Dam, the ideal weekend breakaway.

Unfortunately, this is precisely the worst area affected by this pollution, and the whole industry is thus at risk.

The Roodepoort Northsider has submitted questions to DWS as well as Mogale City and is awaiting comment.