‘We don’t just wear masks because of Covid-19 — it’s because of all this shit’
As far back as 2007, a local nonprofit met with government officials to deal with the pollution crisis in Emfuleni. Residents are still waiting
The Human Rights Commission’s report on the river’s sewage crisis reveals the lawlessness of the state
The water and sanitation department has taken over the clean-up project while sewage continues to pollute the Vaal River and Emfuleni municipality
Local scientists are using wastewater-based epidemiology to trace the SARS-CoV-2 virus in South Africa’s sewage system, which could act as an early warning system for outbreaks of Covid-19, as well as other diseases
Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane’s leadership is being dissolved due to collapsing service delivery
‘Thrown away like rubbish’ — Residents of what was once a rich mining town have survived the seven years since the mine closed
The Vaal River is the lifeblood for almost 50% of the South African population yet at its banks around the Lekwa municipality, sewage flows into it
There are other costs. The waste has sunk to the bottom of the harbour and E coli levels are dangerous, which means businesses are hurting
At midnight on Thursday two municipalities failed to pay their water bills. They aren’t unique. Debt is wrecking water and sanitation services
Blair Atholl has not only violated its water-use licence, but has also released its untreated waste downstream
Irresponsible developers, thieves and homeowners have created a costly problem that is polluting the Jukskei River
It’s no secret that South Africa’s water sector faces big problems. Old infrastructure is falling apart
Budgetary constraints have resulted in a plan that won’t cope with Sedibeng’s sewage flow
Allowing infrastructure to break down, because of negligence or direct action, puts lives in danger
Every second, 50 000 litres of sewage flow into the country’s rivers, a result of no maintenance because of corruption and incompetence
Two years after government promised to solve the problem, sewage sits in yards as pumps stand idle.
Environmentalists fret after a treatment plant again spews raw waste into the Gauteng river.
A microbial fuel cell can process sewage on a small or very large scale and solve the problem of water treatment, some five years from now.
Most sewerage plants in South Africa malfunction, but officials have been told to back off ahead of local elections in 2016.
A breakdown in Vaal Dam sewage management is polluting the water for 10-million people in Gauteng while locals live next to streams of human waste.
For the past nine months photographer David Harrison has been documenting sanitation issues in the informal settlements around Khayelitsha.
In this village there are no children. They were sent away so the sewage wouldn’t make them sick.
People of Braamfischerville in Soweto have renewed hope that the public protector will highlight their sewage-infested living conditions.
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/ 15 September 2010
Information on hundreds of dysfunctional sewage treatment plants would not be made public, the government said on Wednesday.
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/ 13 October 2008
The Eastern Cape health department has warned residents of the Mqanduli area that river water has been contaminated with sewage.