Re: ‘Emergency measures stop spillages’ in Kormorant of 28 January 2010
Rick van Rossum, CEO of the Hartbeespoort Water Action Group writes:

I am very disappointed to read that the Official reaction by the DWEA, about the release of more than 100 million litres of raw untreated sewage, was, "the spillages were restricted to certain areas of the Dam and indications are that the tap water is safe to drink."
Firstly it should be noted that the raw water for all the potable (drinking) water for treatment and distribution to the Hartbeespoort area, is drawn from the dam. This is done within 2 metres or so below the surface and directly in the path of the 100 million litres on its way to the dam wall and there can be no doubt that a lot of that 100 mil would have found its way up the intake suction pump. We know for a fact that the purification works has been unable to treat it correctly, and have received numerous complaints from the community.
Secondly, regarding the restriction of the sewage to a certain area.
It's worth noting that, with the current heavy inflow of storm-water into the dam via the Crocodile River, the level at the West end of the dam is currently more than 500 mm higher than the normal full level and is in fact more like 1,000 mm up from the lowest level measured last week.
This means that a volume of about 20 cubic kilometres, or 20,000 million litres (10% of the total volume of the dam) has spread out over the surface of the dam taking with it a considerable portion of the water from the polluted area, at the East end where the Crocodile flows into the dam, to every corner of the dam. That "Certain area" is now the whole dam.
This disaster has probably set back the Remediation Program by years and will keep on doing this if this irresponsible behaviour remains unchecked, by both local and upstream municipalities in Gauteng. Remediation should be started at source and not just put Band-Aids on the resultant pollution, which would have to be done at infinitum.
We heard at the HCF meeting that some R18 million has already been applied.
We're wasting our money and may just as well forget about it, or rather use it to sue the perpetrators.
What's happened to the "Polluter Pays" principle, enshrined in the Water ACT?
‘Sies’ in die drinkwater

‘n Bekommerder inwoner van Hartbeespoort skryf;

Ek skryf sommer aan jou in die eerste plek om my frustrasie te bedaar en omdat ek nie oortuig is klagtes aan die munisipaliteit ernstig opgeneem word nie - oftewel dat hulle bevoegdheid ernstig opneem nie.
Ons bly al 'n jaar 'n paar meter van die Harties dam en sal dit vir niks ruil nie. Ja, die dam is groen en ons vertrou dat daar die beste gedoen word om dit onder beheer te bring. Ek besef ook dat daar probleme is met watersuiwering aan die schoemansville kant en dat daar herhaaldelik aangekondig is om uit die water te bly. Maar wat my bekommer is dat hierdie water nou ons drink water geword het.
Gister in die stort na 'n lang dag ruik ek iets snaaks wat ek later besef dat dit die water is wat uit die kraan kom. Dit het net soos rou riool geruik en ek het dadelik water in 'n glas gegooi om te kyk wat kom uit. Wat ek toe sien maak my naar. Ek kon net sowel die water uit die dam geskep het - onmiddelik kon 'n mens stukkies van hel-weet-wat sien rond dryf en na 'n paar sekondes het hierdie konkoksie begin borrels maak.
Meer weet ek nie wat om te se nie. Wie's verantwoordelik? Hoe gebeur dit? Wat doen die sogenaamde 'hulle' omtrent die saak? Moet die inwoners net wag of 'n paar liter water saam vat om die 'hulle' se dors te les wanneer daar tot in lengte van dae vrae ontduik word en verduidelik word dat die goed gebeur net?
Ek glo daar is talle klagtes en bekommerde inwoners, maar hoop ten harte dat mense in die media hierdie saak oopvlek en druk plaas op die relevante instansies.
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3 February 2010