Durban - There’s a light flickering at the end of a putrid waterway, which for years has polluted the uMngeni River, including Midmar Dam.
A R160-million revamp of the strained sanitation system serving Mpophomeni township, close to its southern shore, is due to be completed in just under three years’ time.
“The Mpophomeni Sanitation Scheme has been approved by the Department of Water Affairs,” said the uMgungundlovu District Municipality.
For now, raw sewage pours into Midmar. Helped by agricultural run-off, Mpophomeni’s waste poses a threat to the uMngeni River, on which Midmar is built, and from which much of KwaZulu-Natal’s potable water comes.
If the situation continues, water could cost considerably more to treat in years to come, when many more people are also expected to be living near Midmar’s shores.
uMgungundlovu’s municipal manager, Sibusiso Khuzwayo, said the revamp would also provide for the sewerage needs of the Khayelisha Social Housing Project of about 1 900 houses, between Howick and Mpophomeni.
He said the Mpophomeni Sanitation Scheme included a six-megalitre-a-day treatment works for Mpophomeni and Khayelisha and a 25 percent spare capacity for future expansion.
Khuzwayo said the two main sewers in Mpophomeni, plus some other smaller sewer refurbishments, would eliminate sewage in the township.
Treatment
The gradient of underground piping between the homes and the treatment plant is considered to be one of the problem areas.
He also said the scheme would include effluent delivery systems, part of which is an artificial wetland effluent polishing system at the treatment works and a subsidiary wetland system on a stream, recommended and designed by independent water quality and wetland specialists.
However, litter pollution in Mpophomeni is still in dire need of being properly addressed.
Rubbish finds its way into the sewerage system, along which manholes spewing raw sewage are a common sight. It also pollutes the rivers.
According to residents, rubbish collection is poor or, in some areas, non-existent.
The sewerage system is also subject to abuse by residents.
“Where I stay, almost half the road is filled with rubbish,” one resident who did not wish to be named told the Independent on Saturday.
“The truck that collects (rubbish) does not come to this side (of Mpophomeni). Everybody’s complaining.”
The uMngeni Municipality, which is responsible for rubbish collection, could not be reached for comment.
Keeping a finger on the pulse of the situation is the Dusi uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct).
In addition to improved rubbish collection, education was also key to winning this battle, said Howick chairwoman Liz Taylor.
“Many people are from rural areas and are used to long drops (pit toilets). All sorts of things end up going into flush toilets: sanitary pads, babies’ nappies, condoms, hair extensions, plastic bags, dirty panties, food scraps.”
She said she hoped the sanitation scheme would include fitting sewerage pipelines in Mpophomeni.
Midmar has become increasingly polluted and is in danger of becoming eutrophic (the point at which the decomposition of plants deprives the water of oxygen) in 13 to 18 years, owing to the rapid growth of algae thriving at the cost of all other life in the water.
Raw sewage is confined to the Mpophomeni side of Midmar at present and areas like the route of the Midmar Mile are considered safe. The same applies at the dam wall, where Umgeni Water treats water for domestic use.
“Raw water from the dam has been maintained in good quality for many years, despite the recognised challenges emanating from the Mpophomeni area,” said Shami Harichunder, the water utility’s corporate stakeholder manager.
“Should the Midmar impoundment become eutrophic in future, water treatment costs will then increase.”
However, downstream near Howick Falls, the uMngeni River is often re-polluted owing to the flaws in the Howick sewerage system, which spews a mixture of supposedly treated sewage into the river.
“At least every couple of days, huge amounts of effluent go into the river,” said Taylor.
She knows this from Zongila Ngubane, who does water quality checks three times a day for Duct, at the point where water from Howick’s treatment plant flows out of a pipe beside her home in Shiyabazali informal settlement, behind Howick Falls. - Independent on Saturday