The Green Scorpions have stepped into the sewerage scene of Louis Trichardt and surroundings. Hopefully they will have a sting in their tail to hasten solutions to longstanding problems.

The task team of the Environmental Compliance and Enforcement directorate of the province arrived in Louis Trichardt on October 15 to do site inspections at several main pollution areas. Their investigation followed the demand for intervention by Democratic Alliance councillor Brian du Plooy. Du Plooy brought the health-threatening pollution of the aqua sphere to the attention of the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in a letter dated September 12 and asked for prosecution of the officials involved.

The task team, under Mr Tau Moroaswi, visited several areas. They started out at the Eltivillas pump station where maintenance has been done, but raw sewerage still runs into the river.

“If the Eltivillas pump station is upgraded, it only causes more raw sewerage to flow into the Dorps river,” the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association warned more than a year ago.

The municipal dumping site was also visited.

“The dumping site exceeds the permitted regulations. It should have been rehabilitated 18 months ago,” said Du Plooy, who accompanied the Green Scorpions on their inspection visits.

The pump station at the beer depot was out of order and spilling over. The pump station of the Sinthumule/Kutama maximum prison was in working order, but there were problems with the pipelines. Sewerage flows from the prison and adjacent areas under the railway line and then passes the sewerage plant. The area west of the railway line was visited as well.

At the sewerage plant, a serious situation presented itself. When the water eventually runs from the biological filters into the aging dams, it should be completely filtered and clear. However, the water, which should be clean enough to drink, is so filthy and has such a foul smell that it is nauseating. The dams contain duckweed, indicating a dangerously high content of nitrogen. It has been warned in the past that the only solution to the problem is a new, additional sewerage plant, plus the complete upgrading of the present plant. The existing plant should not handle more than 72 litres per second, while one of the pump stations alone pumps 55 litres per second.

The last location for inspection was the area west of the sewerage plant where boreholes are in serious danger of pollution.

“It is important not to provide temporary solutions. The core problem should be strategically addressed. We have been warning since 2003. The Green Scorpions told me that they had already started prosecuting in other areas,” Du Plooy said.

The green scorpions declined to be photographed or to speak to the press. A response from the official spokesperson, Mr Peter Tlowane, is awaited. It was indicated that it may take some time to present the findings of the team and to make the decisions.

The progress, time frames and budgets for a new sewerage plant and the upgrading of the existing plant have been requested from the Makhado Municipality. The spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, is in Johannesburg for the week and “will check” on his return.