OVER the past few weeks, raw sewage has sporadically been spilling into the Baakens River.
Residents in the area are not only upset about the unbearable stench, but also concerned about marine life – especially a family of otters who usually come out of the water to play on the riverbank, before diving back in for another swim.
A resident and lecturer in analytical chemistry, Dr Gletwyn Rubidge, said that the sewage just pours into the water, turning it brown and murky. According to him, all the muck that goes into the water introduces all sorts of toxins, which could be anything from heavy metals to pathogens and germs.
“This disturbs the equilibrium of the water. There are fish living in the river and lots of birdlife and otters that spend a lot of time in that water,” Rubidge explained.
“Little creatures that live in the water like frogs, or tadpoles that breed, rely on the oxygen they get from the water, but this kind of sewage spill chews up their oxygen. This means that these creatures would probably have to come up to the surface to gulp for oxygen.
“The molecules that they are exposed to as a result of the sewage, also affect their systems,” he added.
Rubidge said that people are also at risk as some of these pathogens can be ingested.
“If a dog runs through the water and splashes the water on you, some of the germs could get into your system. This is obviously much worse with the Coronavirus looming above us, as it could find its way into the sewage system.”
Apart from the fact that the river runs through some of the surrounding properties, it forms part of Settlers Park, which is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
“This attraction is getting sewage spilled into it, which is a total lack of respect from the municipality with regard to looking after it,” Rubidge added.
“The bottom line is, the brown and murky water looks awful and we all have kids and dogs in this area. The dogs sometimes run through the water and the otters live in that water too which is terrible to see.”
At the time of going to print, the metro’s spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, had still not replied to PE Express’s inquiry regarding this matter
