Local councillor says, ‘neglected Jukskei River poses a health risk to residents’
Raw sewage flows into the river, leaving the lives of fish, and other water mammals, in danger from pollution and high chemicals. Councillor Annette Deppe and the Gauteng DA call for immediate action.
Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe, together with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng, conducted an oversight inspection of the Jukskei River in Morninghill where it was discovered that huge amounts of raw sewage flow into the river.
Deppe said this posed a serious health risk to the residents in the area and ultimately affected other areas including Waterfall in Midrand, which the river passes through.
Read more: Deppe unhappy with delayed Jukskei River lab results
She said, during the oversight inspection on October 22, that they witnessed large amounts of sludge being churned up towards the weir, which flows down into the Jukskei River and through various suburbs of Ekurhuleni through to Alexandra.
“This has been ongoing for a while. Despite utilising all available resources at her disposal, the local ward councillor, Jill Humphreys, has encountered difficulties in making any progress in resolving the situation,” said Deppe.
This is after dead fish were found at the bank of the river in the Waterfall area in August, with its foamy water.
DA’s environmental affairs spokesperson Leanne De Jager said this situation is of grave concern as it also interferes with the natural fauna and flora in the area.
“While climate change also plays a role in the health of the natural fauna and flora in the area, the lack of proper maintenance of our waterways increases the risk for pollutants, like raw sewage, to damage the waterways. Furthermore, naturally occurring species are also affected by this and are at risk of dying out,” said De Jager.
She said the party will write to the MEC for Environmental Affairs, Shyla Peters, regarding this dire situation to find out why it has not been addressed.
De Jager concluded that they immediately provide support to municipalities to cleanup their rivers and other waterways in the province.
In the article, Fish die from pollution, [week ending 18 October], the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department’s probe found high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels in the water.
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