The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is serious about tackling pollution. One of the key interventions in its multi-pronged approach is the Water Pollution Control Unit, which investigates cuplrits of pollution and takes action where possible as well as proactively tries to identify defects on infrasctructure to help reduce the risk of sewer overflows.

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate’s Water Pollution Control Inspectorate is committed to tackling pollution and protecting the physical integrity of water and sanitation infrastructure and the environment.

They do this by ensuring that the public, including residents, businesses and industries, comply with the Wastewater and Industrial Effluent By-law and the Stormwater Management and Treated Effluent By-law.

This is done through door-to-door visits at properties as part of daily activities to check compliance with the said by-laws relating to water and respond to service requests logged by the public about pollution incidents.

The team further conducts proactive blitz operations within its regions fortnightly and at times with other City departments/enforcement agencies. The Western Cape Government’s Green Scorpions or National Department of Water and Sanitation are at times invited when the planned blitz and/or nature of the transgressions may cover their mandates in respect of the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act, respectively.

Some of the methods to investigate pollution , illegal connections/cross –connections and infrastructure integrity/condition include:

Visual inspections such as illegal connection/discharges of stormwater to sewer connections and vice versa.

CCTV camera inspections to see the internal condition of pipes and whether there are factors such as cracks, tree roots and other items that are blocking the pipes or causing stormwater to enter the sewer pipes.

Smoke detection technology to identify illegal stormwater to sewer connections

Portable devices/tools to do on-site water quality tests to check whether samples contain sewage, the pH levels and others. Where necessary, samples will be taken to the City’s Scientific Services Branch for further analysis.

Over the past year, they have issued 12 fines where evidence was acquired and successfully linked to offenders and 142 notices. Unfortunately, the time between receipt of a complaint and attendance/response is a critical element that impacts the success of acquiring evidence that can be linked to an offender or not. Recently, the Water Pollution Control Unit took swift action and fined some businesses for discharging substances that are not allowed into the sewer and stormwater systems, the latter would have ended up in our rivers.

Some of the City’s R1,6 billion budget for water and sanitation in this 2022/2023 financial year will be spent on improvements in respect of wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and the pipe replacement programme. These interventions will lead to a decrease in pollution incidents relating to infrastructural challenges.

‘The Water Pollution Control Inspectors are the ghostbusters of pollution. Their jobs are to wherever possible prevent, or otherwise respond, investigate the source and culprits of pollution and take action where possible against such offenders, and they are doing the best they can under very dynamic circumstances.

‘This is no easy task because sometimes it’s difficult to trace the source of pollution and or link it to an offender when for example, the pollutant has been washed away by the time the team gets to the site or shoes and tyres and car parts are found to be the source but cannot be linked to an offender so that legal action can be taken. This is why a proactive approach is also taken to sensitise the public in general, on the importance and benefits of a clean environment and proper use of infrastructure through various awareness programmes or initiatives.

‘Regardless of these challenges, the teams continue to monitor compliance and prioritise hot spot areas, and will take action against those who contribute to pollution through illegal discharges, sewer blockages or dumping litter, rubble and other forms of waste into Cape Town’s sewer and stormwater systems,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.

Businesses can help prevent pollution or sewer blockages by:

Installing grease/fat/oil traps to capture the grease from the wastewater which will block pipes.

Use contracted waste management services for used oil and other chemical substances, not dump such in sewers, stormwater systems and the environment, as they will end up in our rivers.

Log water and sanitation service requests

Use one of the following channels (Please provide the street address, and get a reference number):

WhatsApp 060 018 1505

Online: www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests

Email water@capetown.gov.za

SMS 31373 (maximum 160 characters. Standard rates apply)

Call 0860 103 089

Visit a City walk-in centre (see www.capetown.gov.za/facilities to find the one closest to you)

Source: City Of Cape Town