{"id":85859,"date":"2023-07-10T12:33:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T12:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/editor.mediahack.co.za\/theoutlier\/?p=85859"},"modified":"2025-11-17T17:42:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T17:42:01","slug":"joburgs-dirty-problem-underperforming-wastewater-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/2023\/07\/10\/joburgs-dirty-problem-underperforming-wastewater-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Joburg\u2019s dirty problem: Underperforming wastewater plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only one of Joburg\u2019s six wastewater treatment plants passed minimum microbiological safety standards in the latest Green Drop report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The wastewater plants with the worst microbiological compliance are in the south of Joburg and feed into the Klip River, which feeds into the Vaal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If water isn\u2019t treated properly, it can introduce bacteria such as <em>E. coli<\/em> into river systems as well as chemicals that starve fish and plants of oxygen <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On a Sunday morning walk through a park in Joburg, one can often see church members being baptised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately the river water isn\u2019t holy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s filthy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it concerns water scientist Ayesha Laher, because it is not just chip packets fouling the water.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Our rivers are not clean,\u2019 says Laher, whose company AHL Water focuses on the sustainable management of water and wastewater systems. \u2018People are baptising in rivers and they don\u2019t know what the health implications are. They could be mild, long term or potentially dangerous.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">State of Joburg\u2019s treatment plants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Johannesburg has <strong>six treatment plants<\/strong> that clean the used water from our kitchens, bathrooms and businesses before releasing it into five rivers: Crocodile River, Harrington Spruit, Jukskei River, Klip River and Rietspruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Water and Sanitation\u2019s latest <strong>Green Drop report<\/strong> grades South Africa\u2019s treatment plants on their management, the state of their infrastructure as well as the quality of water released into rivers. All of these factors inform a plant\u2019s Green Drop score.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One component of this score is the level of microbiological and chemical compliance of the treated water. The regulated standard for microbiological and chemical compliance, set by the Department of Water and Sanitation, is 90% and higher.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The water should only leave the plants once bacteria and minerals have been removed, making it <strong>microbiologically and chemically compliant<\/strong>.<br \/><br \/>If this is not done, the poorly treated water introduces <strong>chemicals<\/strong> that starve fish and plants of oxygen and introduce <strong>bacteria<\/strong> such as <em>E. coli<\/em> into river systems. Drinking water with <em>E. coli <\/em>can make animals and humans ill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/editor.mediahack.co.za\/theoutlier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/07\/scoreboard-v2-1-600x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85860\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When a treatment plant cleans water, it removes human waste as well as chemicals such as carbon (from faeces), nitrogen (from urine) and phosphorus (from soaps). Chlorine is added to kill bacteria. These cleaning processes, which happen in multiple steps, make the water microbiologically and chemically compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Driefontein<\/strong> was the only wastewater treatment plant in Johannesburg that achieved 100% microbiological and chemical compliance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two stations performed horribly: <strong>Olifantsvlei<\/strong> scored 4% for microbiological compliance and <strong>Goudkoppies<\/strong> scored 5%. Olifantsvlei discharges into Klip River, which feeds into the Vaal. Goudkoppies discharges into Harrington Spruit, which feeds into Klip River<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bushkoppies, Ennerdale<\/strong> and <strong>Northern Works<\/strong> all failed to achieve a score of 90% or above for microbiological compliance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/editor.mediahack.co.za\/theoutlier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/07\/2023-07-10-all-WWTW-simplified-2-600x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85861\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is this happening?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Green Drop report says the reasons for the poor performance of the treatment plants include<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A lack of maintenance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ineffective cleaning processes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Electrical cable theft<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And it\u2019s not a small problem. Although Olifantsvlei and Goudkoppies are the most problematic wastewater plants, the Green Drop Report calls out five of the six: \u2018The lack of microbiological compliance at all plants except for Driefontein presents a<strong> serious health risk to downstream users<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t help that Joburg\u2019s wastewater treatment plants are processing <strong>more waste than they can handle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/editor.mediahack.co.za\/theoutlier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/07\/Overworked-600x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-85862\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Treating wastewater is a biological process, says Laher. \u2018It depends on microorganisms that break down the sewage. If you overload the treatment plant, there will be too many solids [such as faeces] coming in and the microorganisms will die and it won\u2019t work optimally.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of untreated used water also enters river streams when treatment plants lose power either because of loadshedding or cable theft. If the untreated water ends up in rivers or lakes, too much of it can turn the water septic, killing off plants and animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is it being fixed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Green Drop Report\u2019s suggestions to address Joburg\u2019s wastewater problems include<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Upskilling technicians&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repairing infrastructure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitoring water disinfection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Johannesburg Water<\/strong> says it plans to replace critical and old infrastructure. In its latest annual report, the utility says it aims to improve its water treatment to 90%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joburg\u2019s member of the mayoral committee for finance <strong>Dada Morero<\/strong> announced in June that Joburg Water would receive R3.1-billion to repair and upgrade treatment plants and replace water and sewage pipe systems, among other things.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joburg Water told <em>The Outlier<\/em> it is working to address the issues raised by the Green Drop report and the compliance of Goudkoppies and Olivantsvlei.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>\u2018The quality of effluent discharged at these water resources [Harrington Spruit, Rietspruit, Klip and Jukskei rivers] is <strong>tested frequently<\/strong> and challenges relating to non-compliance, or any related matter, are being addressed on an ongoing basis,\u2019 it says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Baptising in rivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Can you still get baptised in rivers? Joburg Water didn\u2019t say no. But it also says it \u2018cannot take responsibility for the activities undertaken by community members due to various activities such as personal, cultural, religious or social acts\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laher says people don\u2019t take the issue seriously enough. She has a personal crusade to stop people from using dirty river water: \u2018Wherever I go, I ask people to please not do baptisms in the river. It really is a <strong>very high risk to baptise<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps you can take<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are living, hiking or walking near river water in and around Joburg, don\u2019t drink it without first cleaning it. Below <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutlier.co.za\/local-government\/2023-06-15\/85436-409\/joburgs-water-how-to-know-if-its-safe-to-drink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are tips on how to clean water<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wash your hands, household items or clothes in a river, please use Joburg\u2019s much cleaner tap water to rewash your hands and cutlery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t have access to tap water. You can<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Boil your water. This is the best option as it kills pathogens<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add one teaspoon of bleach to 2l of water and let it stand for half an hour before drinking. This is a very cost-effective option<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filter your water using a clean cloth, coffee filter or paper towel. While cost-effective, this only removes sediment and does not kill bacteria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can hold the city accountable for polluted water flowing into a river near you by contacting<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contact Johannesburg Water at 011 688 1400 (call centre)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report \u2018transgressions\u2019 to the Green Scorpions, who are mandated to enforce environmental legislation, by sending an email to <a href=\"green.scorpions@gauteng.gov.za\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">green.scorpions@gauteng.gov.za<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.gov.za\/Services\/GetServices?serviceId=CPM-001530&amp;taxonomyItemId=CPM-001000&amp;isFromDepartment=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fill in a complaint form here<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Involve non-government organisations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/watercan.org.za\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Outa\u2019s WaterCan<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/afriforum.co.za\/en\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AfriForum<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notebook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutlier.co.za\/local-government\/2023-06-15\/85436-409\/joburgs-water-how-to-know-if-its-safe-to-drink\">Joburg water: How to know if its safe to drink<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Download the<a href=\"https:\/\/ws.dws.gov.za\/IRIS\/releases\/Report_NATIONAL%20_FINAL_30March22_MNEdit_web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Green Drop Report 2022<\/a> [pdf]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dffe.gov.za\/projectsprogrammes\/emi\/about#:~:text=The%20mandate%20and%20functions%20of%20EMI&amp;text=The%20EMIs%20have%20the%20powers,seize%20evidence%20of%20criminal%20activity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mandate and functions of the Green Scorpions<\/a>, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment&#8217;s Environmental Management Inspectorate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahlwater.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AHL Water<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The city is releasing partially treated water back into rivers \u2013 and this has health and environmental implications<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,41,446,1387],"tags":[298,283,299,300,301,285,302,286,303,304,305,306,307,308,50,240,309,310,311,312,313,314,315,316,317,318],"newsletter-post":[],"site":[],"class_list":["post-85859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-governance","category-local-government","category-news","category-the-outlier","tag-afriforum","tag-ayesha-laher","tag-bushkoppies","tag-city-of-johannesburg","tag-crocodile-river","tag-department-of-water-and-sanitation","tag-driefontein","tag-drinking-water","tag-effluent","tag-ennerdale","tag-goudkoppies","tag-green-drop-report","tag-green-scorpions","tag-harrington-spruit","tag-johannesburg","tag-johannesburg-water","tag-jukskei-river","tag-klip-river","tag-northern-works","tag-olifantsvlei","tag-outa","tag-rietspruit","tag-sewage","tag-vaal-river","tag-wastewater","tag-wastewater-treatment-plants"],"acf":{"big_number":null,"big_number_caption":null,"big_number_link":null,"big_number_background":null,"big_number_text_colour":null,"big_number_icon":null,"big_number_wide":null,"featured_chart":null,"flourish_chart_id":null,"flourish_sub_title":null,"flourish_chart_width":null,"is_newsletter_post":null,"post_style":null,"show_on_front":null,"link_through":null,"chart_url":null,"background_colour":null,"text_colour":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85859"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86548,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85859\/revisions\/86548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85859"},{"taxonomy":"newsletter-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter-post?post=85859"},{"taxonomy":"site","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outliereditor.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/site?post=85859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}