Task team returns to Modderfontein stream
The task team was formed after Johannesburg Water received complaints about effluent being discharged into the Illiondale stream.
A task team, consisting of the Department of Environmental Management, Environmental Health, Ekurhuleni Municipality and officials from Johannesburg Water’s Laboratory Services, will return to the Modderfontein stream area for further investigations and by-law enforcement.
The task team was formed after Johannesburg Water received complaints about effluent being discharged into the Illiondale stream.
Mr David Sibiya, from Joburg Water, said complaints from concerned residents were received during the month of June 2015.
“The task team conducted an investigation through a survey of premises that were known to be conducting offensive activities, or discharging industrial effluent into the stream,” said Mr Sibiya.
Mr Sibiya said the officials have decided to return to the area as it has since come to their attention that this illegal practice has become worse in recent weeks.
He said during their visit in June, it was discovered that as a result of non-compliance with regulations and by-laws, industries were illegally discharging effluent into the stream via stormwater channels.
During the visit, samples from the stream were taken for analyses.
Mr Sibiya did not reveal the factories responsible for the discharge, however he said once the results are concluded and communicated, fines will be issued to the offending parties.
Dr Irwin Juckes, who represents Edenvale RiverWatch, expressed his disappointment with the time it has taken for the departments to identify the responsible parties. He said he has not received any feedback from the officials since their last visit to the stream.
Dr Juckes said the pollution worsened since the Johannesburg officials visited the area.
“The chemical smell was by far the strongest I have witnessed since the visit by the departments. The discharge is a daily occurrence and is certainly worse. The nature of the fluorescent chemical should surely give a pointer as to the source, especially when there are so few candidate factories in the area. There are only about three possible culprits in that industrial area so it should not be difficult,” said Dr Juckes.
