Fears have been sparked of an impending environmental disaster due to raw effluent that is being dumped along the R31 road because the Gogga pump station has been out of operation for nearly a month.
FEARS have been sparked of a looming environmental disaster due to raw effluent that is being dumped along the R31 road as the Gogga pump station has been out of operation for about a month.
Witnesses stated that trucks were offloading human excrement in the veld as well as into the “lake” along the road between Kimberley and Barkly West.
Residents have also complained that raw sewage is spilling out of manholes in Promised Land and Snake Park, while livestock are drinking from contaminated waterholes.
Ward 16 councillor Casper Rammutle said he managed to prevent residents from staging protests this week due to the non-functioning pump station, which has continually experienced breakdowns since 2018.
“Residents are tired of the stench of putrid sewage leaks and are afraid that they may contract illnesses such as cholera. A contractor was paid to fix the pump station, but it is still not working. There appear to be major challenges at Gogga pump station as effluent is not being pumped to the Homevale wastewater treatment plant,” said Rammutle.
Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Thabo Mothibi explained that they were left with “no option” but to temporarily divert the sewage inflow to allow repair work to unfold, as the pump station had not been functioning properly for about 28 days.
“We needed to urgently contract a service provider to undertake emergency repair work. Our engineers are closely monitoring the levels at R31,” said Mothibi.
He added that the municipality had “acted swiftly in mitigating the impact”.
“Every effort is being taken to ensure that human health is not compromised. The supervisor and his team are on the ground and are interacting with affected residents.”
He pointed out that during repairs, the main pipeline supplying sewage to the pumping station was blocked off, resulting in blocked manholes.
Mothibi added that the electrical and mechanical repair work of the 33-megalitre section of the Homevale wastewater treatment plant was under way.
“Gogga pump station will be operational by the end of the week. The bearings on two pumps were replaced at a cost of R120,000.
“One pump will be fully functional this week and the other screw pump will be functional within a month. With one screw pump operational, the pumping station will be fully functional. The other will be used as a stand-by pump.”
Mothibi indicated that sanitation services were under strain due to aged infrastructure that was unable to adequately cater for the city’s growing population.
The provincial spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Amogelang Moholoeng, said fears of an environmental hazard were justified as the area was contaminated with historical sewage spills.
“Water quality analysis points to contaminated water and land. People and animals should not come into contact with the raw sewage as bacteria, viruses and pathogens could lead to infections,” Moholoeng warned.
He added that raw sewage was not permitted to be dumped in the veld or any water sources.
“Sol Plaatje is authorised to convey raw effluent through pump stations and pipes to the Homevale and Beaconsfield wastewater treatment plants. Only treated effluent can then be discharged to the environment.”
Moholoeng stated that the department was considering taking legal action against Sol Plaatje Municipality.
He indicated that the municipality had partially complied with previous directors issued by the DWS to repair the Homevale wastewater treatment plant and Gogga pump station.
“Progress depends on the complexity and costs to rectify waste discharges. Although it takes too long to rectify and repair leaks, most sewage leaks from pipes are repaired and sewage leaks are stopped. The Gogga and most other pump stations have been repaired at huge financial cost on pipes and electricity and have been operational and reliable recently.”
Moholoeng said that according to an inspection report, the contamination of groundwater in the nearby pan could negatively impact the health of surrounding community members as a result of direct exposure to water that was polluted by sewage.
He stated that DWS had allocated R250 million to upgrade the Homevale wastewater treatment plant and increase its capacity to treat raw sewage from 30 ML to 48 ML of effluent per day.
“The plant has an old section with a capacity of 30 ML per day and a new section with a capacity of 18 ML per day.”
Public Protector provincial representative Mlungisi Khanya added that a team of investigators would conduct an inspection in loco at the affected areas and analyse the extent of the sewage spillages.
During a visit of the Public Protector, advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, to the R31 road in November 2022, the MEC for Roads and Public Works assured her that they would drain overflowing water next to the R31 into the Vaal River.
The department’s adjusted appropriation budget in 2022 stated that R40 million would be allocated to construct a diversion wall to divert water from the R31 road.
A spokesperson for the Department of Roads and Public Works, Zandisile Luphala, stated that no additional funds were allocated beyond the original budget to elevate the R31, as the project was completed within the planned financial year.
“Since the floods of 2021/22, there has been clear evidence that parts of the pan are drying up and water levels are reducing. This indicates significant progress in addressing the challenges at the Gogga pump station. At present, there are no rising water levels and the pan is gradually drying,” said Luphala.
