GMM to appear in court for water contamination
According to the Green Scorpion, they investigated the sewer and general waste problems around the municipal jurisdiction and they obtained enough evidence in water pollution by the municipality and have a strong case against the municipality.
BETHAL – The Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), popularly known as the Green Scorpions, and the local environmental organisations are taking the Govan Mbeki Municipality to court for water contamination.
The municipality was first supposed to appear in court on May 3 but due to the unavailability of the institution’s legal representative, the matter was rolled over to June 22.
According to the Green Scorpion, they investigated the sewage and general waste problems around the municipal jurisdiction and obtained enough evidence of water pollution for a strong case against the municipality.
Fana Sibanyoni, MS Environmental Projects activist, said they are grateful that at last, the municipality will face the might of the law for violating people’s rights.
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“There are areas where air quality is unhealthy because of sewage spills and stench that lead to people getting sick. We are supporting the action taken by the Green Scorpions because politicians keep lying by saying they are fixing the sewage problems,” said Sibanyoni.
MS Environmental Projects want action to be taken against all those polluting water streams in the Govan Mbeki municipal jurisdiction.
The analysis that was carried out on water samples taken from various points in the Grootspruit on July 26 was done according to the South African National Drinking Water Standard of 2015 (SANS241).
The standard specifies the quality of acceptable drinking water defined in terms of the microbiological, physical aesthetic and chemical determinants at the point of delivery.
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The faecal coliform bacteria indicates sewage contamination of a waterway and the possible presence of other pathogenic organisms and e.Coli. The organisation also lodged formal complaints to the different government and non-governmental environmental organisations and the South African Human Rights Commission.
This environmental activist organisation said tests conducted by H2OGURU discovered faecal coliform bacteria, indicating the presence of sewage contamination of a waterway and the possible presence of other pathogenic organisms.
Sibanyoni said tests on samples taken from Grootspruit and Secunda rivers show the water is not suitable for human or animal consumption or domestic use.
“Both river samples are contaminated with raw sewage in the water,” he said.
