A short diversion of the Jukskei River in Northriding has been contaminated, and fish that have been thriving there for decades have suddenly gone belly-up.
“I first noticed a greasy film covering the water,” said Johan Theron, who maintains a business premises next to the river running below Boundary Road.
“In the following days thereafter, we noticed carp floating dead in the water, one by one.”
More than 30 dead fish were pulled out of the river, which were then buried so that the local birds and other animals won’t eat them.
At first, Theron suspected that the contamination might have been caused by sewage leaking into the river from an informal settlement higher up on Malibongwe Drive. But further investigation led to the construction of a bridge currently being built over the river further upstream.
The Department of Water Affairs was contacted, and regional inspectors came to take samples of the water.
Spokesperson Themba Khumalo responded by saying that the samples were being tested in accordance with the National Water Act, Act 36, of 1998. “Once we have the results, they will be made public.”
Khumalo continued to say that it is the department’s full responsibility to make sure that natural water resources are kept clean. “Whether residents use the water for domestic use, sustenance or irrigation, it has to be as pure as possible. Water contamination is a serious threat to our livelihood.”
Details: Department of Water Affairs www.dwa.gov.za
