Joburg might have water‚ but it’s loaded with sewage

Municipalities nationwide are under pressure to stem the torrent of sewage into
South Africa’s rivers after a high court judge gave a local municipality seven
days to halt further leaks into the Vaal River.
The Vaal is one of the major water sources for the Gauteng economic engine
room and hundreds of irrigation farmers in the Free State‚ yet recent tests by
Rand Water have revealed sewage levels in parts of the river that were
hundreds of times higher than the required safety limits.
Water laws recommend a minimum general standard of 130 units of E.coli
(sewage bacteria). But tests done by Rand Water close to a railway bridge near
Vereeneging just last month showed E.coli levels of over 57 000 units in the
river.
In a Gauteng High Court decision on Tuesday last week‚ Judge Bashier Vally
ordered the Emfuleni Local Municipality to repair and rectify problems at its
wastewater treatment works within seven days.