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Reference: 6/2/2/6
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: QUESTION 959 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
A draft reply to the above-mentioned question asked by Mrs J F Terblanche
(DA); is attached for your consideration.
ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
DRAFT REPLY APPROVED/AMENDED
MRS B E E MOLEWA, MP
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
DATE:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 959
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 18 MARCH 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 08)
959. Mrs J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and
Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether, with reference to her reply to question 118 of 2009 on 22
July 2009, any further steps have been taken to prevent raw sewage from
entering the rivers that flow into the Kruger National Park (names
furnished); if not, why not; if so, what steps;
(2) what are the relevant details of water quality samples taken at each
of the sampling points in the past three months for each of the above
rivers,
(3) whether any animals have died in the park since 22 July 2009 as a
result of high levels of fæcal pollution in the rivers; if not, how was
this conclusion reached; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW1077E
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REPLY:
(1) Yes, Table 1 below reflects the steps which have been taken by the
Department to prevent raw sewage from entering the listed rivers.
Table 1: Steps taken by the Department
|No |Municipality |River |Details |
| |Nkomazi |Crocodile |A directive was issued during October 2009. |
| | | |A criminal case has been opened (under CAS |
| | | |118/11/2009) with the Komatipoort South |
| | | |African Police Service (SAPS). This criminal|
| | | |case is still under investigation. |
| |Delmas |Olifants |No further action has been taken as the |
| | | |Municipality submitted an action plan and |
| | | |the Department is currently monitoring its |
| | | |implementation. |
| |Emakhazeni |Elands- |A directive was issued to the Municipality |
| | |tributary of|during |
| | |the |February 2010 for operating the Dullstroom |
| | |Crocodile |Sewage Treatment Works without |
| | | |authorisation. The directive instructed the |
| | | |Municipality to submit a water use licence |
| | | |application and to date no submission has |
| | | |been made. |
| |Emalahleni |Olifants |A directive was issued during October 2009. |
| | | |A criminal case has been opened (under CAS |
| | | |858/11/2009) with the Komatipoort SAPS). |
| | | |This criminal case was nollied. |
| | | |The Department has through its Accelerated |
| | | |Infrastructure Programme funding refurbished|
| | | |the Bush Pump Stations and Clarinet 1, 2 and|
| | | |3. |
| |Bushbuckridge|Sabie |The Department has transferred R5.16 million|
| | | |to the Municipality to optimise the |
| | | |wastewater treatment |
| |Thabachweu |Sabie |No further action has been taken because |
| | | |corrective action has been taken by the |
| | | |Municipality. |
| |Mbombela |Crocodile |No further action has been taken as the |
| | | |Municipality submitted an action plan and |
| | | |the Department is currently monitoring its |
| | | |implementation. |
| |Govan Mbeki |Olifants |No further action has been taken as the |
| | | |Municipality submitted an action plan and |
| | | |the Department is currently monitoring its |
| | | |implementation. |
| |Kungwini |Olifants |No further action has been taken as the |
| | | |Municipality has taken corrective action by |
| | | |re-installation of the cables of the pump |
| | | |station that were stolen. |
| |Greater |Olifants |A directive was issued to the Municipality |
| |Sekhukhune | |during |
| |District | |February 2010 for operating the Burgersfort |
| | | |sewage works without an authorisation. The |
| | | |directive instructed the Municipality to |
| | | |submit a water use licence application and |
| | | |to date no submission has been made. |
(2) Table 2 below reflects the details of water quality samples taken at
each of the sampling points in the past three months for each of the
above rivers.
Table 2: Sampling results- December to February 2011
|No |Sampling Point |Parameter |December |January |February|General |
| | |(cfu/100ml|2010 |2011 |2011 |Standard |
| | |) | | | | |
| |Olifants River |E. coli |2419 |2419 |2419 |1000 |
| |Upstream of Riverview | | | | | |
| |Olifants River |E. coli |Not |58 |192 |1000 |
| |Downstream of | |Applicable| | | |
| |Groblersdal | | | | | |
| |Sabie River at Sabie |E. coli |nil |nil |201 |1000 |
| |sawmill | | | | | |
| |Sabie River at Kruger |E. coli |866 |345 |67 |1000 |
| |Gate | | | | | |
| |Crocodile at |E. coli |nil |2419 |nil |1000 |
| |Komatipoort before | | | | | |
| |confluence with the | | | | | |
| |Komati River | | | | | |
| |Crocodile River at |E. coli |67 |1732 |201 |1000 |
| |Dullstroom | | | | | |
| |Groot Sand River |E. coli |nil |260 |201 |1000 |
| |Upstream | | | | | |
| |Sand River downstream |E. coli |nil |228 |649 |1000 |
| |point | | | | | |
(3) No animals have died in the Kruger National Park since 22 July 2009
as a result of faecal pollution. This conclusion is based on the
standard operating procedure that pollution incidences that kill
and/or have the potential to kill aquatic biota (eg fish kills) are
reported to the Department and such reports were not lodged with
Departmentâs Regional Office: Mpumalanga. Further, on receipt of this
national assembly question, the Department confirmed its conclusion
with the Kruger National Park.
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