vaal river sewage
Vaal River Sewage filmed by Carte Blanche in 2018. In parts the river looks like a snowy Alaskan river... but this is scum foam from sewage permeating the Vaal River system.

Home » Vaal Triangle ‘Drowning in Sewage’, Posing Threat to Gauteng’s Drinking Water

Vaal Triangle ‘Drowning in Sewage’, Posing Threat to Gauteng’s Drinking Water

The situation at the Vaal River – which provides a major source of water for Gauteng – has reached crisis levels as raw sewage continues to spill onto land and into the river, posing a threat to the drinking water of 45% of Gauteng’s population. According to an expose by Carte Blanche, streets in the […]

By Jenni Baxter
31-07-18 13:02
in Eish!
vaal river sewage
Vaal River Sewage filmed by Carte Blanche in 2018. In parts the river looks like a snowy Alaskan river... but this is scum foam from sewage permeating the Vaal River system.

The situation at the Vaal River – which provides a major source of water for Gauteng – has reached crisis levels as raw sewage continues to spill onto land and into the river, posing a threat to the drinking water of 45% of Gauteng’s population.

According to an expose by Carte Blanche, streets in the Vaal Triangle are filled with refuse and there are streams of raw sewage. Conditions are so horrendous apparently that even rats are dying.

In parts the river looks like a snowy Alaskan river… but this is scum foam from sewage permeating the Vaal River system.

During the investigation, a man living in one of the townships in the area tells Carte Blanche how the long-term effects of the pollution have made him so ill that his doctor told him “the sewage is killing you”. Sewage seeps into the floors and walls of home. Land owners have had to sell their livestock as horses have been left sick and sheep have died.

Carte Blanche has been following the steadily declining situation for over two years, which is now on the brink of a humanitarian and ecological disaster.

Emfuleni District Municipality has essentially collapsed, and is heavily in debt… unable to afford site visits to investigate the situation, let alone fix malfunctioning water pump stations. There has been a collapse of infrastructure in Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and adjacent townships.

According to Carte Blanche, millions of litres of raw sewage have been spilling from these pumps over the past three years, with daily spillage almost every day over the past year.

The decay and stench is apparent as you approach the area, says the show.

Chris Williams from Save the Vaal Environment reports that thanks to pollution, acid mine drainage, human waste, abattoirs discharging blood and corpses, and over population, the e-coli count indicators show the situation is at a crisis proportion right now.

In Sebokeng township where there is a total lack of funds and residents face water restrictions, the waste water treatment plant has been shut down the last few weeks due to civil protests. Residents have blocked entrance to plants, resulting in massive spillage – over 150 million litres daily into the Rietspruit, which in turn goes into the Vaal River… and ultimately in Gauteng’s drinking water.

According to Carte Blanche, the current e-coli level is 500 times above the limit considered safe for human consumption, and there’s a rise in dysentery amongst school children.

Mpho Khang from New Horizon Movement says the Vaal Triangle is “drowning in sewage” and that the municipality failed “spectacularly”.

Save the Vaal obtained a High Court Order in February this year which helped lead to the Gauteng Provincial Government finally stepping in and taking the bankrupt municipality under administration.

Gauteng’s MEC of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs promised Carte Blanche that with government intervention, the situation will improve because “people deserve better”.

Time is running out for what could become a national crisis, according to Chris Williams.

Without immediate improvement, he says that soon 65% of Gauteng’s industry could be without potable water, and 45% of the population without drinkable water. “That is a catastrophe”, he says.

If you’re a South African abroad – you can watch the full episode of Carte Blanche by streaming it on Showmax here.