Vaal Dam sewage and health crisis - Deneysville / Refengkgotso - Part 6

8 August 2015 - Raw sewage is overflowing from the sewage treatment works which flows over farmland and eventually flows into the Vaal Dam. Here you can see the high flow of untreated human sewage into the trench that the farmer dug to stop stock theft. From here the sewage flows into the farm dam and once this dam overflows the sewage flows into the Vaal Dam. The Vaal Dam is the drinking water source to over 10 million people in Gauteng. This situation has been exacerbated by the lack of attempts by both the Metsimaholo Local Municipality Management and the Dept of Water Affairs and Sanitation (DWAS) to rectify this human health hazard which has been ongoing since 2011. The Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation is fully aware of the situation in the area as they have completed “Green Drop’ Reports for this sewage plant which is between 90 – 100% over capacity. The DWAS , as custodians of our water courses and dams, are there to ensure that the people of South Africa have clean potable water and are there to protect our water courses and dams from pollution, however they are not fulfilling their mandate at all. It is time that the DWAS is made to enforce the National Water Act and start criminal proceedings against the Metsimaholo Local Municipality Management. The DWAS must also ensure that the Metsimaholo Local Municipality comply fully and that all untreated raw sewage in the area is treated in accordance with the General Standards. The Metsimaholo Municipality Municipal Manager is Mr. Stephen Molala, email address: stephen.molala@metsimaholo.gov.za or molalasm@gmail.com and the Manager: Vaal Proto CMA official from the DWAS is Mr. Mogale Matseba, email address: MatsebaE@dws.gov.za. Please send an email to these officials and request them to address this unacceptable pollution that is occurring on an urgent basis and have the sewage plant in Deneysville / Refengkgotso upgraded as well as implement interim measures immediately to prevent further contamination of the Vaal Dam. We thank you for your assistance and concern for the Vaal environment.