MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Despite there being no legislation which has assigned local authorities the power or the duty to manage the various estuaries in and around town, nor to take measures to protect riparian properties, the quality of life of residents living in close proximity of the rivers has compelled the Mossel Bay Municipality to be actively involved in ensuring the health of the river systems as much as possible.

Hartenbos River
Tests done on dead fish recently found on the banks of the Hartenbos river confirm high levels of salinity in the river water, after the mouth was recently breached, caused the fish to die.

This follows several concerns raised about the cause of death and many people ascribing it to waste water and sewage being spilled into the river.

The dead fish were, however, found much higher up in the river than where the municipal water treatment works discharge outlet is.

At the request of the Hartenbos River Forum, the municipality is preparing another application to all the relevant departments for permission to open the river mouth by digging a deeper and wider channel by the end of September.

Pollution upstream of the outlet of the Hartenbos waste water treatment works has been identified as a major concern that likely contributes to the poor water quality of the estuary. 

The municipality has addressed the issue with the provincial government's Department of Environmental Affairs in an effort to have the pollution policed as soon as possible as the municipality itself does not have the authority to monitor or enforce legislation in this regard.

Likewise, water use and agricultural activity upstream of the estuary should be properly managed, the municipality said. The provincial government was appraised of the fact that the upper catchment of the Hartenbos river has been totally transformed, to such an extent that hardly any water from the upper catchment reaches the estuary.

Great Brak River
After complaints about the water quality of the Great Brak River, the municipality's environmental officer and councillors recently conducted a site inspection, where three samples were taken on behalf of the Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA), which will send them to the NMMU for testing.

The samples will specifically be tested for algae and water quality. The areas of most concern are where algae accumulate, such as beneath the bridge in Great Brak and at the Great Brak Island. The algae collect and then start to decompose which gives off a bad smell.

The Great Brak River was again breached to drop water levels to a safer level from almost 1.9m on Friday, 1 September.

At an inspection, on 4 September, the level was at 1.10m. The mouth has, however, again closed and will now be left closed until the planned breach can occur.

The exact timing of the planned breach, namely one that is accompanied by a release of water from the Wolwedans Dam, will be determined by the levels of water in the dam at the end of September. If water levels do not improve, the planned breach will be delayed until October or November.

Fetid smell in Bayview River
"The municipality can confirm that there has been no sewage spillage into the Bayview river," municipal spokesperson Colin Puren said.

The municipality in recent weeks received complaints about noxious smells following a suspicious discharge into the Bayview river. During a site inspection, the discharge that the complaint was related to was evident. The discharge was white in colour and had a foul smell.

"The municipal environmental officer took samples that were sent to the Eden District Municipality and the BGCMA with a request to investigate the matter. Nestlé was also contacted about the matter.

"By the time BGCMA visited the river the discharge had stopped. On Friday last week, another inspection was done, this time with the municipality's Technical Services employees and representatives from Nestlé present to determine whether the source of the discharge from the pipe could be traced. Nestlé was requested to block off the pipe and, according to feedback, there have been no subsequent discharges since.

"It is uncertain where the pipe originates, as Nestlé claims it is not part of their plant. It is speculated it may be a remnant of some old infrastructure.

"The pipe does not appear on any building plans or on any diagrams," Puren said. "A specialist contractor was asked to visit the site to determine a means to rehabilitate it. Dosing with a natural bacteriological agent was decided on as the best way, with the product first being applied on 12 September. 

Two more applications of the product are scheduled to occur over the next two weeks. The rehabilitation efforts are being funded by Mossel Bay Municipality and Nestlé. If there is no improvement in conditions over the next few days, the estuary will be breached.

"The municipality has just hired a specialist to determine by means of a camera investigation the source of the pipe."

ARTICLE: NICKEY LE ROUX, MOSSEL BAY ADVERTISER NEWS EDITOR

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