NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 2309
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20 NOVEMBER 2009
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 29)
2309. Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental
Affairs:
(1) Whether she has been informed of any functionality problems at
the Alicedale sewage treatment plant in the Makana Municipality;
if so, (a) how will the problems be dealt with and (b) when;
(2) Whether the Bushmans River into which the sewage plant
discharges its outflow is regularly tested to assess the effect
of the plant discharge on the river; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(3) Whether this sewage plant is included in the Green Drop report;
if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW3017E
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REPLY:
(1)(a) Yes, My Departmentâs Regional Office: Eastern Cape has
been informed of the functionality problems at the Alicedale
Sewage Treatment Plant in the Makana Municipality.
The plant services the Alicedale community and the nearby
Bushman Sands Hotel.
At a meeting with the municipality My Department learned that
the plant in question is operating beyond its design capacity.
This is attributed to the connection of new houses, Bushman Sans
Hotel, conversion of the bucket system to water borne sewage and
the connection of French drains previously used in the area.
It was acknowledged that the long term solution to the problem
would be to upgrade the plant subject to sourcing of funding and
environmental authorisation. In the interim, the following
measures were considered:
⢠Use of the effluent for irrigating of the Bushman Sands Hotel
golf course as an alternative to abstracting water from the
nearby river; and
⢠Diverting of the sewage from Bushman Sands Hotel by
transporting it to the Grahamstown (Belmont Valley) Sewage
Treatment Plant.
In addition, the municipality would conduct community awareness
on the proper usage of waterborne sanitation facilities.
(1)(b) The municipality has applied for the upgrading of
the facility and a permission to commence with the Environmental
Impact Assessment process was granted on 8 July 2009.
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(2) Yes, My Department conducts routine monitoring of the river and
the monitoring programme which includes taking samples from
downstream and upstream of the New Yearâs River. However the
upstream point is dry since July due to the current drought.
Table 1 below reflects the latest results from the monitoring
programme:
Table 1: Monitoring Results
|Parameters |Location of |July 2009 |Aug 2009 |Alicedale|Alicedale|
| |monitoring | | |WwTW |WwTW |
| |point with | | |final |final |
| |reference to| | |pond â |pond â |
| |sewage works| | |July 2009|August |
| | | | | |2009 |
|Ortho |Upstream |No flow |No flow |7.25 |5.56 |
|phosphate (as | | | | | |
|P) in mg/L | | | | | |
| |Downstream |6.79 |0.022 | | |
|E. Coli (per |Upstream |No flow |No flow |1 030 |9 000 |
|100 mL) | | | | | |
| |Downstream |1 080 |36 | | |
|Feacal |Upstream |No flow |No flow |930 |18 400 |
|Coliform | | | | | |
| |Downstream |800 |40 | | |
|Nitrates / |Upstream |No flow |No flow |0.74 |0.79 |
|Nitrites | | | | | |
| |Downstream |2.54 |0.8 | | |
|Suspended |Upstream |No flow |No flow |- |78 |
|Solids | | | | | |
| |Downstream |- |86 | | |
|COD |Upstream |No flow |No flow |117 |164 |
| |Downstream |110 |207 | | |
|Ammonia |Upstream |No flow |No flow |27.6 |27.4 |
| |Downstream |25.7 |0.92 | | |
|Electrical |Upstream |No flow |No flow |161 |158 |
|Conductivity | | | | | |
| |Downstream |160 |197 | | |
|Oxygen |Upstream |No flow |No flow |- |10 |
|Absorbed | | | | | |
| |Downstream |- |25 | | |
|pH |Upstream |No flow |No flow |7.5 |8.3 |
| |Downstream |7.4 |8.6 | | |
(3) Yes, the plant was included in the Green Drop Report and the
average Green Drop Score attained as indicated in the report is
7%. Table 2 below reflects the Green Drop Score details:
Table 2: Green Drop Report Card
|Criteria |Alicedale |
|Process Control, Maintenance & Management |G |
|Skill | |
|Monitoring Programme Efficiency |G |
|Credibility of Waste Water Sample Analysis |B |
|Regular Submission of Waste Water Quality |G |
|Results to DWAF | |
|Waste Water Quality Compliance |G |
|Waste Water Failures Response Management |G |
|Waste Water Treatment Works Capacity |G |
|Green Drop Score |7% |
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