VIDEO: East wetland life threatened by sewage spill
“Whether it was sabotage or something natural we don’t know.”
A sewage spill has put the 7 000-year-old Colbyn wetlands and neighbouring residents at risk as Tshwane metro scrambles to solve the 10-day environmental disaster.
Health implications and destruction of the wetlands which has several micro-organisms and aqua life was of major concern to residents, including Karlien Delport who has had to endure the stench emanating from the wetlands since 1 March.
“My son started throwing up on 6 March.”
“His chest has heavily congested all of a sudden without showing any other symptoms of flu. He is only 15-months-old.
“I took him away for a night and it started getting better, this morning again, he was couching up balls of phlegm.”
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Delport said other residents have also suffered from food poisoning-like symptoms. “I myself have been nauseous in the morning when I wake up.”
Another resident Trudie Erasmus said the spill was frustrating and concerning for her and her children.
“Residents further upstream are getting sick from the fumes and an extremely bad smell in the air. My three children and I have asthma and this is aggravating the problem.”
“There has to be massive cleaning done but in a way that does not put the wetlands and its natural inhabitants at risk.”
Ward councillor Siobhan Muller said a 12m-deep pipe under the N4 had become blocked and officials had to pump water out to find the problem.
At the weekend, workmen started pumping water out of the pipe after delays in securing the correct equipment for the job.
“The sewage spill from the last 10 days is a massive one.
“We got experts in to try and help and go down the pipe, we do not know what the cause is yet. Whether it was sabotage or something natural, we do not know.”
What risk does this pose to the wetlands?
Friends of Colbyn valley (FCV) spokesperson Tasmyn Sherwill said the massive sewage spill flowing into the Hartbeesspruit would have a severe impact on the biodiversity that this water body supported, both in the Colbyn wetland nature reserve and in the downstream suburbs and Roodeplaat dam.
“When the spill was first reported on 1 March, there were already dead fish in the spruit.
“It is likely that recovery of the fish, insect and bird populations will take a long time and may require intervention to achieve.”
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She said the spill also highlighted that her organisation had played a role in conveying information about environmental issues affecting the residents of the valley.
Muller said the huge amounts of pollution killed micro-organisms and other aqua organisms in the river.
“That pollution needs to be cleaned up and we cannot just add chlorine because that will completely destroy the wetlands; we need to find safer alternatives.
“The quicker we can resolve this, the better. Everything is being done by the city to resolve the issue.”
Muller commended the team for working on the problem for days under extremely difficult circumstances.
“Having to drill underground and pump all the water … it is an amazing task that they have undertaken.”
She also praised locals who have come forward to assist, as “this is a commendable bid to rehabilitate and preserve the wetland”.
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