End in sight for bird park pollution
The company was not to blame as run-off water from its washbays and ablutions were incorrectly connected into the stormwater system.
In a bid to halt the continued pollution of the waterways of the Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary, AfriForum called a meeting with eThekwini Municipality, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and a Southgate Business Park tenant who was fined for polluting a feeder stream met to discuss how to solve the sewer spill into the stormwater infrastructure.
Property owners in Maple Road regularly complain about the terrible smell and state of the stream in front of their road, which feeds into the bird park.
“On Friday evening, 8 August at about 5.30pm the smell was really bad,” said resident, Jen Adam. “We went and had a look and the colour of the water was grey. We were trying to have a braai outside and the smell was so offensive, we had to move inside as soon as we finished.
The next morning we awoke to an even more offensive smell. My tenants, who are not even on the river side, could also smell it and asked us what it was. My husband and I went and had a look and there was a ‘new’ film of oily sludge on the water, which had not been there a few days before. It smelt like a mixture of sewage, chemicals, sulphur and dirty drains. On Sunday, 10 August the smell was still bad and there was effluent sludge in the water,” said Jen.
“We are at a loss as to what to do about this issue anymore,” said Toti Conservancy chairman, Laura Taylor, in a plea to the municipality to resolve the issue. “It is ongoing and it seems there is no resolution in sight. The pond at the bird sanctuary is worse than ever. It is always the same substances and coming from the same stream.”
After investigating, the municipality fined a company for polluting the stream, but subsequent investigations revealed the company was not to blame as run-off water from its washbays and ablutions were incorrectly connected into the stormwater system and not the sewer system.
The company, whose name is known to the Sun, was fully co-operative and welcomed the meeting to help address and correct the problem as soon as possible.
At the meeting the municipality agreed to fast-track the re-connection and the problem will be soon be solved.
“AfriForum is pleased with the outcome of the meeting,” said provincial co-ordinator for AfriForum in KZN, Chris Fourie. “A solution for the sewer spill issue was found and the relevant parties are already working to implement it. The experts informed AfriForum that this specific sewer spill will be solved in about two weeks.
Afriforum and the community appreciates eThekwini, DWAF and the business park tenant’s commitment to solve the problem. We will monitor the situation and ensure all parties keep to their commitments.”
