New Bruma river still hit by sewage

10 May 2016

A terrible faeces smell after recent rains has stirred concern by local residents and businesses about the water quality of the river that has replaced the sewage-plagued Bruma Lake in east Johannesburg.

The smell has abated after clean-up action by the Johannesburg Council, but the e-coli levels are still unacceptably high.

According to a Council report this week, the latest e-coli count done in August to October last year found 450 000 counts per 100 ml as compared to the 440 000 counts of the previous quarter. This is down from the 2.4 million per 100 ml in January 2015 but still way over the tolerable limit of 400 per 100 ml.

Local DA councillor Mike Spadino says that the problem comes from broken sewage pipes and unmanageable sewage flows from overcrowded buildings in the Johannesburg city centre.

The upstream litter trap is also currently under repair.

It would be a great pity if the R65 million project for a landscaped river and restoration of the iconic bridge does not solve a sewage problem that is polluting the Jukskei river and other parts of the province.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Johannesburg East Constituency Head, 10 May 2016