Ncandu River poisoned – is it nature’s cry for help?
“This means currently, that the river should be treated as hazardous to human and domestic animal health, with levels of E.coli up to 24 times higher than the general Department of Water Affairs and Forestry standard for effluent,”
In recent months the Ncandu River and Amcor Dam have slowly been overrun in what can only be described as a natural hostile takeover.
Water hyacinths have covered almost the entire river, with only fast-flowing sections escaping the onslaught of vegetation growth.
Amcor Dam is also entirely covered by the photosynthesising fiends. An academic research article by students of the University of the Witwatersrand describes
the water hyacinth as South Africa’s most dangerous water weed, due to the ability of the plant to grow in almost any condition.
The damaging ecological effects of this plant are most dangerous because indigenous fauna and flora are displaced as a result of habitat modification.
A direct result of oxygen depletion caused by the plants, is the occurrence of dead fish along the river.
Worryingly, the weed also provides suitable breeding sites for vectors of human and animal diseases, thereby increasing the incidence of encephalitis, schistosomiasis, filariasis, river blindness and possibly cholera.
The physical risks related to the plant growth were highlighted this weekend, when a small child nearly ran into the river at Newcastle Golf Club.
The child apparently mistook the bed of free-floating hyacinths as part of the lawn near the sixteenth hole. Fortunately, the youngster was rescued before plunging
headlong into the water.
What stimulates the growth of hyacinths?
Damning water test results conducted by uThukela Water have come to light proving that the growth of the plants is due to an over enrichment of nutrients, especially caused by sewage spilling into the river. The plants are a natural defense mechanism for the river to ‘use up’ excess nutrients.
The tests were conducted in July. During this time, the hyacinth growth had not yet taken hold. These results were given to the manager of the World Wildlife Federation Grasslands Protection Programme, Angus Burns. His analysis of the results is even more worrying, with E.coli counts off the charts.“The sample was taken when the river was in its low flow period (winter), which means the high levels of E.coli recorded indicate point source pollution that is causing sustained pollution of the stream with fecal waste,” explained Mr Burns.
Normally, rivers in natural and generally unpolluted states are at their best during the low flow season. This can largely be attributed to the little rain washing pollutants into rivers. “The results from these two tests indicate E.coli counts of more than 10 000 colonies and 24 000 colonies per 100 mililitres respectively,” said Mr Burns.
“This makes the water unsafe for even recreational use such as swimming and fishing. Anyone using the river water for such purposes runs the risk of contracting any number of microbial related diseases.”Any E.coli count above zero indicates that the water is unsafe for human consumption and would require purification.
While the E.coli counts alone are a clear indication of a river in desperate need of help, even more alarming figures have emerged among the test results.
Mr Burns again explained:“The high results of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), ammonia, electrical conductivity and suspended solids indicate that there are
most likely other chemical pollutants in the river, which unless tested for specifically, will not be identified by the two tests conducted,” he said.
The Ncandu River test results were compared to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) standards for effluent. The river should not be classed as effluent, but rather as a natural river. The river fails even to meet the general standards for effluent due to the high E.coli pollution.
“This means currently, that the river should be treated as hazardous to human and domestic animal health, with levels of E.coli up to 24 times higher than the general Department of Water Affairs and Forestry standard for effluent,” concluded Mr Burns.
The Newcastle Municipality was contacted on numerous occasions to comment on the situation and the clear indication that the Ncandu River has been severely polluted by sewage.
Despite constant requests for answers from the beginning of October, the municipality has failed to respond on any enquiries. See the gallery bellow and click on the following links the test results and the full analysis by Mr Burns
