Local engineering firm GLPS, who tested the water, took the Middelburg Observer on a flight over the Boskrans Sewer Works, the smelly secret of an otherwise seemingly perfect municipality.
The first problems at the sewer works were reported just on three years ago when a fall-out between a member of the municipality and contractors at the sewer works led to a fist fight and the ending of their contract.
A new phase at the sewer works were then already in the process of being built.
A contractor that ran into financial difficulty and various other complications caused the date of completion to be moved several times.
Since then the response from municipal manager Willie Fouche has been more or less the same, claiming that they have hired extra machinery to cope with the increasing demand and promising about the nearly completed upgrade that should have initially completed in May 2011.
When last asked Mr Fouche said that the new phase should be completed by December 2013.
Water tests done by GLPS, more than two years apart, paints a dire picture. (See advert below).
Results on samples taken upstream, at the Boskrans inlet and downstream were analysed at the CSIR in Pretoria.
The results show a sharp increase in e-Coli bacteria from 270 000 parts per 100 ml in 2012 to a more than double 800 000 parts in 2014.
That in spite of the upstream readings decreasing somewhat in the more than two years.
Ammonia has also increased from 5 mg/l in 2012 to a staggering 26 mg/l in 2014 downstream of the sewer works.
It was confirmed from a trusted source at the municipality, that the same contractor that caused a delay in construction in 2011 was once again the cause of a delay in September 2013. Business Rescue proceedings prevented the municipality from appointing a new contractor.
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The process has since been completed and the contractor has vacated the premises. A new contractor must now be brought in to finish the 95% completed civil construction project.
Municipal Manager Willie Fouche was not available for comment this week.
• Anyone that wants to have a closer look at the water test results can contact GLPS on 086 148 8886.
