Page 22 - Thola Issue 17

20 Water and Sanitation
WATER
THE ULTIMATE
CONSTRAINT
Christopher Fennemore reports on the City’s upcoming water conference, our dwindling water resources, and what plans are afoot to mitigate water pollution.
The Department of Water and Sanitation made a major stride towards bringing the water resource agenda to the fore in KwaZulu-Natal in April this year by establishing The Mvoti to Mzimkulu river ‘Catchment Management Agency’.
This will have far-reaching implications in the allocation of water resources and the fight against water pollution. Ethekwini will host the largest water conference in Africa in May 2016, run by The Water Institute of Southern
Africa with the theme ‘Water: The Ultimate Constraint’. The conference will highlight the activities of CMAs and eThekwini will be presenting its experiences in its fight against water pollution on this platform.
There is little doubt that the water quality of our rivers, dams and ground water is generally declining throughout the country. Locally, water sources such as the Umbilo River, Umhlatuzana River, the Swinton Dam, the Umbogintwini River and Shongweni Dam have been
thola: VOLUME 17. 2014/15
either abandoned or are under threat. This has been partly or entirely due
to water quality issues. Even more startling is the fact that water quality is under threat from pollution in one of the largest dams supplying eThekwini (Inanda Dam). Recreational users would have noted the thick green scum occurring in the vicinity of the dam inlet over the past few years.
The diagram below gives an indication of probable sources of pollution within the Municipality.
Interventions to date have failed to stem the quality decline and this is being exacerbated by increased population, increased food production, continued mining and industrialisation and increasing abstractions from the water resources. This article not only outlines the efforts
of eThekwini Municipality to prevent pollution and improve water quality, but also highlights fundamental problems/ dysfunctionalities which hamper progress.
What exactly is the City doing currently to prevent and reduce water pollution?