South Africa: Matlosana Municipality Accused of Vaal River Pollution

Streams that feed the river are being contaminated by failing wastewater treatment in Matlosana municipality "I think my cattle are getting sick from this water," said Nosi Mane, a Jouberton-based cattle herder, standing next to a sign thanking people for "not polluting the environment". Mane and his roughly two-dozen cattle were headed for the banks of the Skoonspruit in Matlosana, North West, just past the Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) built at the entrance of the township. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Mane said he has watched the river "change" over the 40 years he has lived here. Skoonspruit, which means "clean stream", is ironically now a murky, foaming waterway that gives off a rotten stench. It is also a tributary of the Vaal River, which supplies fresh water to about a third of South Africa's population. The City of Matlosana is currently under provincial administration , and its wastewater infrastructure has been failing for years. Sewage spills and poorly or untreated wastewater pollute the Jagspruit and Koekemoerspruit as well, which also flow to the Vaal River. In Kanana, near Orkney, 15km south of where we met Mane, we met Richard Ndlovu sitting against a wall of a dysfunctional pump station. Ndlovu pointed to a manhole gushing raw sewage that has eroded a pathway to the Skoonspruit, about 100 metres away. The Skoonspruit meets the Vaal River about 5km downstream. "It has been like that for years," said Ndlovu. He said his church group meets near where the Jagspruit meets the Skoonspruit every Sunday, and they perform baptisms and prayers. He said the water cleanses one as it is "protected by God". The state of the Skoonspruit puts communities and farmers who use the water for irrigation at risk. Sewage can introduce harmful pathogens into water, increasing the risk of diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera. Organic matter and nutrients in wastewater can also reduce dissolved oxygen, creating areas where fish, frogs and plants cannot survive. GroundUp conducted water tests in the Skoonspruit, downstream from the Klerksdorp and Orkney WWTWs, where poorly treated and raw sewage enters the waterway. We used citizen-science screening kits to test for coliform bacteria and E. coli. The first test was an AquaScreen, a rapid screening test for bacteria, including coliform bacteria, which can be found naturally in the environment and in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. If the water turns black after 36 hours, it indicates the presence of coliform bacteria; a clear or yellow result is interpreted as negative. Our tests quickly turned a tar-like black. Next was a Petrifilm test, which screens for E. coli and coliform bacteria. High levels of E. coli indicate faecal contamination and an increased possibility of harm. After 72 hours, blue spots on the Petrifilm indicate E. coli. For raw water, WaterCAN's results guidance considers more than ten combined blue and red spots an unsafe result, particularly in relation to recreational use. The results showed large amounts of bacterial growth. WaterCAN executive director Ferrial Adam called the results "horrifying", especially given that some people are using the water for agriculture and recreation. "We know that across the country pollutants such as sewage are spewing into our waterways. This is killing our river ecosystem, affecting livelihoods and a threat to people's health," she said. Adam called for an urgent bacteria assessment of the river by the City of Matlosana, with the findings made public. A much larger crisis The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Auditor-General (AG), Parliament and civil society have identified a much larger sanitation crisis in Matlosana, resulting from years of ageing systems, a lack of qualified personnel, inadequate budget allocations for maintenance and upgrades, vandalism and insufficient revenue. DWS routinely audits WWTWs across the country, scoring water authorities on operation