Municipal sewage dumping continues
Illegal sewage dumping and spillage by municipalities is no new thing. The Carletonville Herald recently caught municipal employees red-handed while they were dumping sewage in a small dam this week. The municipality previously said this dam was going to be rehabilitated.
The Herald caught municipal employees red-handed while they were dumping sewage in a small dam this week.
The municipality previously said this dam was going to be rehabilitated.
At the beginning of September, the Herald reported that owners of cattle in the area between Khutsong Ext. 2
and the Wonderfonteinspruit were complaining that honey-sucker trucks belonging to the Merafong City Local
Municipality and municipal contractors were dumping sewage into a small dam close to the river.
As far as could be determined, this dam was part of the original Khutsong sewage works but has supposedly not
been in use for years.
The municipality previously indicated that the dumping point where sewage is supposed to be disposed of is at a manhole situated a kilometre from the Khutsong waste water treatment works. The municipality also said its water quality team would ‘investigate and take the necessary steps to rehabilitate the area’.
When the Herald drove through the area with a community leader, Mr Vusi Mcunana, on Monday afternoon, however, a honey-sucker truck bearing the municipal logo could be seen turning off towards the dam again.
Following at a safe distance, the Herald and Mcunana arrived at the dam while the municipal employees were
pumping sewage into it. When they saw that someone was approaching, however, the employees pulled their
hose up and sped off as fast as they could. Before they disappeared, the truck ground to a halt, with one employee
quickly jumping out again to secure something at the back of the vehicle. The evidence of their dumping was left for everyone to see, however.
Even in the blazing sun, a wet trail of sewage, probably spilt in their haste to get away, could be seen on the ground.
Although the whole dam was still badly polluted, a patch of freshly dumped, foul grey sewage could be seen
spreading from where the truck had been parked just minutes before. A terrible smell hung in the air.
‘The municipality is investigating the matter and will respond in full once the investigation has been completed,’
was the only response forthcoming from the municipality when questioned about the matter on Tuesday.
