THE news that the Department of Water and Sanitation is set to launch its National Pollution Register has been welcomed by civil society organisation, WaterCAN.

Last week the department announced that it would launch the registry which would give the public access to information on who is polluting water resources.

The resource would also show those convicted of pollution-related offences, or ordered by courts to pay damages arising from water pollution.

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Jonathan Erasmus, the communications manager for WaterCAN, a water advocacy and civil society organisation, said this would go a long way to bringing more transparency on who is responsible for river and water pollution.

“In principle this is a very good idea and one that various civil societies have been advocating for years. We have asked for more transparency on who our polluters are. It will all come down to implementation, it is all very well naming and shaming but our hope is making sure there’s actual consequences for those polluting our rivers and ocean. Not just in terms of fines but also limiting companies responsible for them from trading with certain organs of state.

“There are still a number of questions to be answered. Will it just be effluent or will it also be targeting companies that throw in trash, rubble, tyres and old diesel? Is it connected to the Department’s pollution hotline and what resources is the department set to commit to the register?” Erasmus said.

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WaterCAN conducts regular testing on the health of the uMngeni River for E. coli (sewage bacteria), and environmental bodies have also raised the alarm over the health of the river over the years.

“From our testing the levels of E. coli in the river are still alarmingly high. Currently the levels make the river deeply unsafe. It is of huge concern, not just from the environmental damage but we’re seeing a knock-on effect in the number of paddlers using the river decline, the impact on subsistence fishermen, and use of the river as a recreational space. In years gone by the high levels of E. coli has also led to the closure of beaches,” he said.

The department is expected to launch the register soon while also giving a demonstration of how the public can use it.

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