Sludge hits the fan with a 12 500 E-coli count

THE presence of E-coli in a drinking water sample usually indicates recent faecal contamination.

An E-coli count of 12 500 in Klipfontein dam comes as no surprise, considering how long overflow sewage has been flowing into the dam, since November 2015, as a result of the broken pump at Bhekuzulu.

According to AfriForum’s Andrè van der Walt, the sewerage treatment works is not functioning correctly and the water treatment plant is not equipped to treat for E-coli. The intake tower at Klipfontein Dam, where four pumps were installed 18 months ago, will cost an estimated R1 million to repair, as all four pumps have “packed up” due to an apparent lack of maintenance.

At a recent Joint Operations Committee (JOC) meeting, with representatives from AbaQulusi Municipality’s Department of Technical Services inconspicuous in their absence, as usual, AfriForum Chairman, Andrè van der Walt, suggested that the water and sewerage issues be handed over to Zululand District Municipality and that the ‘Interim Water Services Provider Agreement’ be scrapped.

According to a report compiled by Louis Fourie of ECA Consultants for ZDM, an assessment of Klipfontein Wastewater Treatment Works, “…since the third phase of upgrading of the works was completed during 2009, limited maintenance was done and the works was neglected. The works is in a desperate need to be refurbished. The works would not be able to process up to its design capacity of 11.5 megalitres per day and would not be able to meet the demand of 10.5 megalitres per day when water becomes available in town after the drought of 2016.”

“Currently the sludge is being circulated and recirculated within the works and never leaves the system. There is a huge build-up of sludge within the works. The entire works needs to be de-sludged.”

Director of Technical Services, Vasan Chetty, who was notably absent from last Friday’s meeting, claims that he recently gave the instruction that the Bhekuzulu pump station, which has fed over a year’s worth of sewage into Klipfontein Dam, be repaired. It is not clear whether this was due to a directive issued to AbaQulusi Municipality by the Department of Water and Sanitation on November 2 awaiting a rehabilitation plan indicating AbaQulusi Municipality’s intention to “rehabilitate or fix the problem.”

Chetty responded on Tuesday, reporting that the pump had arrived on Monday and that they were waiting for the electrical panel to be completed, predicting that the repairs could possibly be completed by Wednesday.

On the subject of Manager of Technical Services, Wandile Dlamini’s, alleged regular tardiness regarding the JOC meetings, Chetty claimed that he would “look into the matter.”

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