The sewage spills on Main Beach that has caused outrage amongst Jeffreys Bay residents is indicative of a country wide problem.
The Department of Water Affairs’ Green Drop report reveals an alarming state of affairs at municipalities’ country wide.
Out of the 852 municipal waste systems in the country, only 449 responded to the Department’s survey.
The reasons given for the non compliance are staggering. Municipalities did not respond, either because they were not sufficiently competent in terms of staff to do so, or because they possessed insufficient information about their treatment plants.
The report found that municipalities lacked understanding of the technicalities of water treatment and the funding required to operate plants.
“Financial support for dealing with urgent issues at plants is, in many cases, nonexistent,” the report says.
It is not known where Jeffreys Bay fits into the Green Drop report but with the evidence of large sewage dams on Main Beach, it is clear we have a huge problem on our beaches with no short term solution in sight.
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