26 June 2015
R1-20/FREE
SAB 8 League draws to a close
A thick stream of bloody water flows from a sewage system entry point and into the road. The water ended up in the river in the industrial area in Modimolle. Photo: Ronel van Jaarsveld Ronél van Jaarsveld A thick stream of bloody water washes across the road. The stench is unbearable. People driving or walking past just shake their heads — it’s not as if this is anything new. On Thursday, 18 June, the problem with dirty water spilling into the river from the abattoir in the industrial area of Modimolle spiraled out of control again. Bright red bloody water broke through entry points in the sewage system, only 100m from the abattoir and only meters from the river. This is only a short war from the first parts of the river that were not damaged by the
acid spill of 16 May, when a truck overturned and spilled roughly 15 000 liters of sulphuric acid into the road and river. Business owners complain that the stench is affecting their businesses, and residents are concerned that the bloody mess may have health consequences. Nature lovers warn that the contaminated water which ends up in the river may irreparably damage the local wetlands, The abattoir falls under the jurisdiction of the Waterberg District Municipality while the sewage system is the responsibility of the Modimolle municipality. The municipality recently replaced the aboveground PVC pipes which used to feed the bloody water into the sewage system,
with an underground pipe. “The municipality laid down a 160 mm pipe and erected a pumping station which pumps water from the industrial area to the town’s waste water treatment plant. The pumping station was vandalized, however, and the pumps and transformers were stolen. We had to re-route the sewage back through the old pipeline,” said Patrick Shika, the municipal spokesperson. He told The BEAT that the correct procedures with regard to waste water management were not followed at the abattoir. Johann Abrie, the DA organizer in the Waterberg, is of the opinion that the nearby waste water treatment plant is part of the
problem. “The plant doesn’t have enough capacity for the sewage,” he said. “The ongoing upgrades to the system are just gaining momentum when they come to a halt again. The project already costs much more than what was originally budgeted.” Abrie said that the municipality’s handling of the situation would be brought to the attention of Parliament by the DA’s Shadow Minister for Water and Sanitation Deon Basson, on Wednesday, 24 June. * The nature program 50/50 visited Modimolle shortly after the acid spill and investigated the state of the river. They also inquired about the abattoir water which ends up in the river. The episode is expected to air in July.