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12 November 2015 | Volume 9 | Week 46 | Tel: 018 294 3924/17 | northwestindependent@telkomsa.net | Potchefstroom | Gratis • Free

Storm about water still raging ¢¢ LYNDLE HAAGNER

P

otchefstroom residents took to social media this week to report a foul smell surrounding the Wasgoedspruit canal near Piet Bosman Street. On the popular ‘Hello Pietie’ Facebook page, residents were seen speculating that the stench was due to a sewage leak in the area, or from the Poortjie Dam. They pleaded with the Tlokwe City Council to investigate the matter as the condition was becoming unbearable. “I dodge my own house,” a resident told the NorthWest Independent. “Our children can no longer play outdoors and we are forced to keep our windows closed,” another added. MMC for Environmental Management, Ina Stolz joined the discussion and said that the stench in the Wasgoedspruit is caused by algae. “Council will clean the spruit and then request Dept. of Water Affairs and Sanitation to flush it,” she said. The NWI asked Stolz to elaborate on her explanation. “The Tlokwe City Council has identified blue-green algae to be present in the Wasgoedspruit. As the algae develops, it starts emitting a foul odour similar to that of sewage. It is a natural process that is currently being aggravated by the extreme heat Potch is experiencing. Foreign matter such as bird droppings also adds to the development of the algae,” she explained. A specialist in the field of algae, confirmed Stolz’s explanation. “Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) is a form of bacteria seen to have a seasonal occurrence and is linked to warm temperatures. This algae uses phosphorous and nitrogen to multiply and has the ability

The source of the stink: Wasgoedspruit Canal nearest to Piet Bosman Street.

to produce its own nitrogen but needs phosphorous from an external force to thrive. The current heat wave Potchefstroom is expe­ riencing can encourage the algae to bloom. Stagnant water and abundant sunlight also contributes to this growth,” he explained. This specialist source has also been conducting tests in the area as well as at Poortjie Dam for the past few years. He told us that he has discovered a definite increase of the blue-green algae in the Poortjie Dam’s water in the last two to three years. There has also been a spike in the salt concentration of the dam. “The cause of this is unknown and we

cannot yet link it to any one specific factor. However, the environment has a natural assimilative capacity to withstand problems arising from bird droppings,” he explains. He was also willing to share a few of his theories on the cause of the current Wasgoed­ spruit problem. “There is a possibility that it could originate from water flowing out of Poortjie Dam, which contains the same algae,” he said, adding that another theory is that phosphorous could have been distributed in the area from the gypsum dam, as a result of mining, causing the algae to multiply. “However, it is also possible that it is due to

inorganic nutrients entering the system” he said. The NWI was informed by reliable sources yesterday, that samples of the water from Wasgoedspruit had been taken and that traces of sewage had been found. However, a local microbiologist cautions that it is “impossible to deduct any concrete evidence from only one investigation. Many, extensive investigations are necessary before allegations can be made.” The City Council has set a plan in motion to resolve this matter. Ina Stoltz says that they will be working with the Dept. of Community Services and Infrastructure regarding this matter. “The algae occurring in the Wasgoedspruit (running from the railway track to the bridge at Walter Sisulu Street) will be removed manually by a force of trained workers and will then be flushed clean. The reason for the manual removal of the algae is because we do not want to flush any harmful substances into the Mooi River,” she said. “Once we have flushed the canal we will also be able to identify any obstacles causing blockages in the water flow. Vegetation inhibiting this water flow as well as litter will also be removed.” According to the council, residents can expect to see this plan in action as of tomorrow, Friday 13 November or at the latest, the following Monday. Our consultant microbiologist cautions against optimism, though: “What the City Council is proposing is only a ‘quick fix’. Further investigation is needed to correct this problem at the source,” he says. Follow the progress of this matter and contribute to the discussion on our Facebook page NorthWest Independent or follow @HelloPietie on Twitter, #wasgoedspruit

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