TABLE VIEW
@TygerBurger
Woensdag, 27 Mei 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | e-pos: nuus@tygerburger.co.za
TygerBurger
MILNERTON LAGOON: RAW SEWAGE STILL A BIG PROBLEM
City tackles pollution KAILIN DANIELS @k10daniels Emergency repairs have taken place throughout the lockdown to improve the quality of effluent leaving the Potsdam wastewater treatment works plant. This follows reports of raw sewage spilling into the Milnerton Lagoon and onto the Bloubergstrand beach recently, raising more concerns to residents. It was previously reported (“Alarming test results at Milnerton Lagoon”, TygerBurger 11 March) that four sets of results show an alleged spike in pollution of the Milnerton Lagoon after the City of Cape Town said it will take five years to fix. The City recently announced plans to up-
grade the facility, which is scheduled for completion in 2025. The City said the plant was not the primary cause of the pollution as there were various sources of pollution. According to Mayco member for water and waste, Xanthea Limberg, there are multiple sources of pollution impacting the lagoon, which require the whole of society’s response. This includes sewer overflows driven by intensive misuse of the sewer and stormwater systems, illicit discharges from industrial sources and illegal development in the catchment area, mainly in Dunoon and Joe Slovo. “To address these sources the City is diverting polluted stormwater streams into the sewer where this is technically possible, and is manually pumping polluted stormwa-
The polluted Milnerton lagoon has undergone emergency repair work during the lockdown to improve the quality of effluent leaving the Potsdam wastewater treatment works plant. Inset: Warning signs have been placed along the lagoon. However, residents claim that this is not enough to inform the public. PHOTOS: KAILIN DANIELS
ter into the sewer for several hours each week to lessen the pollution load into the lagoon. The City is also clearing “sludge” build-up from previous pollution incidents in the worst-affected stormwater canals. Bio-Enzyme treatments are also being applied to help break down the pollution,” Limberg said. This work has resulted in effluent quality improving to acceptable levels, with progress including: . critical belt presses operating at greater capacity; . improved bio-nutrient removal (BNR) process; . back-up generators capable of powering the entire plant. Further improvements are in the pipeline
while the R1,75 billion upgrade proceeds. However, Gary van den Berg, chair of the Milnerton Central Residents’ Association (MCRA) said in a video posted on their Facebook page that the City takes weeks or months to respond to emails and letters. “Raw sewage has been running in the lagoon for months and has not been fixed. Everybody says they are going to do something for us as a community, but the bottom line is, no one has done anything. “All we want is service delivery,” Van den Berg said. Limberg added that the City is stepping up education and awareness around sewer blockages, however the door-to-door campaigning in hotspot areas has been suspended due to imposition of the lockdown.