“It’s the first time I have seen it, but it looks like it’s been flowing into the dam for a few days now,” said Mr Skollie Thomas, a resident that noticed the overflowing sewage drain.
A manhole situated near Klipfontein Dam has clogged up and raw sewage has begun flowing out of it and down into the dam, some 50 metres away.
“The municipality was here to check the manhole and the workers attempted to open it using a rod but couldn’t get it open, they left and haven’t come back,” said Thomas.
While at the dam Thomas noticed a truck parked at the top of the dam and questioned its driver about why there was a pipe from the truck into the dam.
“The driver told me that they were drawing water to clean out manholes, but is it legal to draw that much water from the dam?” he added.
After Thomas questioned the driver of the truck, they packed up the pipes and drove off.
“We are drawing water to flush the sewerage lines here in Witbank, in Ben Fleur and Model Park,” said Mr Iern Mnisi, site manager, Prephill.
According to the constitution of South Africa and the National Environmental Management Act, everyone is entitled to a clean and healthy environment, yet this isn’t the case with Klipfontein Dam as not long ago WITBANK NEWS featured an article about fish dying in the dam, washing up on shore, and this was due to the raw sewage flowing into the dam.
Nitrogen in the sewage enriches the growth of algae which in turn then removes the oxygen from the water causing the fish to asphyxiate, this is known as Eutrophication.
This isn’t good for the aquatic system as fish are part of the natural aquatic system and this in turn poses a health issue not only to us but to wildlife as well. It also stresses the eco systems of Witbank Dam and Olifants River.
Emalahleni Municipality was contacted for comment regarding the situation of the raw sewage flowing into the dam, as well as the drawing of water by the truck, however they failed to respond in time for print.
Footage recorded at Klipfontein Dam on Friday, May 9.
Footage of dead fish at Klipfontein Dam spotted on Sunday, July 13
