Question NW3811 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Reply:

(1) Refer to Annexure A for locations of the 200 monitoring sampled sites within the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Area.

(2) Refer to the table below for problem areas that have been identified:

Catchment	Specified Area
SABIE-SAND CATCHMENT	Sabie Town
	Mkhuhlu
	Dwarsloop
	Thulamahashe
	Bushbuckridge
	Acornhoek
CROCODILE RIVER CATCHMENT	Emthonjeni
	WatervalBoven
	Ngodwana
	White River
	Rocky's drift
	Kabokweni
	Kanyamazane
	Barberton
	Louieville
	Malelane
	Hectorspruit
	Komatipoort
UPPER KOMATI CATCHMENT	Seepage from Union Colliery
	Tributary of boesmanspruit at Tselentis Colliery
	Downstream of Tselentis Discard Dumps
	Coastal fuel @ Witkrans Seepage
	Carolina sewage Discharge point
	Elukwatini
LOWER KOMATI CATCHMENT	Driekoppies
	Tonga Hospital WWTW
	Tonga Ponds
	Ka-Maqhekeza
USUTHU CATCHMENT	Piet Retief
	Heyshope Dam (Downstream of Kangra mine)
	Amsterdam
	Assegai

(3) Refer to the table below for the names of the wastewater treatment plants in the specified area:

Requesting the Honorable Member to note that the report of the Blue and Green Drop reports, has been submitted to Cabinet for approval in line with the exercise of executive authority in terms of section 85 of the Constitution hence the information cannot be provided at this point.

Catchment	Name of the wwtw plants
SABIE-SAND CATCHMENT	Sabie WWTW
	Hazyview WWTW
	Mkhuhlu WWTW
	Dwarsloop
	Thulamahashe
CROCODILE RIVER CATCHMENT	Emthonjeni sewage
	WatervalBoven sewage
	(Sappi Ngodwana) Bambi on Elands Rriver
	White River WWTW
	Rocky's drift sewage
	Kabokweni WWTW
	Kanyamazane WWTW
	Barberton WWTW
	Louieville WWTW Final Discharge
	Mhlatiplaas WWTW final exit
	Mhlatikop WWTW
	Hectorspruit WWTW
	Komatipoort WWTW
UPPER KOMATI CATCHMENT	Carolina WWTW
	Elukwatini sewage Pump Station
	U/S of Elukwatini Pump Station
	ElukwatiniWWTW
LOWER KOMATI CATCHMENT	Shongwe Hospital WWTW
	Tonga Hospital WWTW
	Tonga Ponds
	Ka-Maqhekeza Plaza sewage package plants
USUTHU CATCHMENT	Mkhondo WWTW
	Amsterdam WWTW

(4) The selection of monitoring sites for river health is completely different from chemical monitoring program. While the selection of monitoring sites for chemical monitoring program is activity based and seeks to establish the impact of land-based activities on the quality of water resources, the selection of monitoring sites for river health purposes looks at the reference conditions that best mimic the natural conditions of the river before development took place. The monitoring points for these respective monitoring programs are therefore far apart from each other in most instances and although it is possible to attribute the health of the river to the quality of the resource, it is not always accurate since it is not activity-based. Hence the number of monitoring sites for the River Health programme are fewer compared to those for chemical monitoring. The eco-status of the various catchment within the Inkomati-Usuthu Water Management Area are summarised below per catchment.

Sabie Catchment – 15 of 20 sites were monitored along the length of the Sabie River (mainstream) from source till it enters the Kruger National Park was recorded to be at category B and even A in some places which is almost pristine. The head-waters of the Sabie River showed degraded eco-status and improved as the river continues downstream, contrary to the norm where the head-waters are more pristine and tend to deteriorate as the river progresses downstream. A detailed study of the upper reaches of the catchment revealed that the impact on the eco-status in the head-waters emanates from the poor maintenance of the road networks in the forestry plantations causing high sedimentation and increased turbidity.

The moderately impacted to near pristine eco-status is attributed to the high flow of water in this river which provides adequate dilution for partially treated waste water discharged into the river. However, in areas where wastewater treatment works discharge partially treated waste, there has also been impact associated with the low levels of dissolved oxygen that results from the high organic loads that utilize oxygen to be broken down. This phenomenon is shown by the high prevalence of air breathing taxa (micro-organisms) recorded and conversely low prevalence of those taxa that get dissolved oxygen from water. These taxa were negatively affected by low levels of dissolved oxygen which occurs as a result of high organic loads found in partially treated domestic waste water. The Sabie River Eco-Status study was conducted in 2012/13.

Crocodile Catchment – 15 of 18 sites were monitored along the length of the Crocodile River (main stem) from source till it enters Mozambique was recorded to be at category C and with 3 sites at category B/C. The level of development in this catchment is extremely high and composed of industry, mining, irrigated agriculture and wastewater treatment works. Two of the tree sites that are rated at category B/C are just upstream of Nelspruit. From Nelspruit down towards the border of Mozambique, the eco-status remains at category C. This is the stretch that contains the highest number of wastewater treatment works in this catchment. The Crocodile River Eco-Status study was conducted in 2013/14.

Komati Catchment – 23 of 31 sites were monitored along the length of the Komati River (mainstream) from source till it enters Mozambique was recorded to be at category C and with 5 sites recording B category and 3 sites at category D. The level of degradation in this catchment is higher due to mining development but not necessarily wastewater treatment works. There are actually fewer wastewater treatment works in this catchment than in both the Sabie and the Crocodile Catchments. The Komati River Eco-Status study was conducted in 2014/15.

Usuthu Catchment – Assessment currently underway and will be completed in the first quarter of 2016/17 financial year.

(5) Yes, steps have been taken against those activities that negatively impact on the water resources including issuing of notices and directives as well as opening of criminal cases and the details of the latter are presented in the table below:

Name of the Polluter (a)	Case Number	Reasons for such actions
Maviljan Ponds (Bushbuckridge Municipality)	Case 127/08/2014	Continuous discharge of partially treated sewage into a water resource.
Thulamahashe WWTW (Bushbuckridge Local Municipality)	Case 89/02/2014	Continuous discharge of partially treated sewage into a water resource
Carolina WWTW (Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality)	Case 57/09/2015	Continuous discharge of partially treated sewage into a water resource
Hillsview Pump Station	Case 35/07/2014	Continuous overflow of raw sewage into the water resource.
Twin City Hazyview (Mbombela Local Municipality)	Case 112/02/2014	Continuous overflow of raw sewage into the water resource
TTC manhole (ThabaChweu Local Municipality)	Case 11/05/2014	Continuous overflow of raw sewage into the water resource

---00O00---