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The Hennops River heading for an ecological and health risk disaster.
21 June 2013 | Du P Martins

Applied known and confirmed details of Waterlab, an accredited test laboratory, shows that the River is teeming with Coliform bacteria, E-Coli, aluminum and manganese.
The E-coli count of 2900 is more than the accepted figure it must be zero. The total Coliform bacterial count is 15,000 and is more than the accepted 10 standard limit of acceptable water.

The health risk of the river is further exacerbated by thousands of tons of sewage sludge which is spread over an area of about 4ha of the Raslouw Waste plant and periodically spills into the neighbouring Hennops River.

According to a report from Africon compiled in 2006, the Raslouw wastewater treatment system, which serves the greater Centurion area, reached its maximum processing capacity of 45ml raw sewage day in 2006 already.

"The proposed extensions proposed in this report should already have been started because the plant is already above its designed capacity," was the recommendation in the 2006 report. It also gives a calculated analysis and graph showing that the current flow of sewage is estimated to be about 65ml / l per day. Built Cofferdams were supposed to be able to handle the increased sewage sludge, but according to residents of the area, it often happens that with heavy rains, the neighbouring Hennops River is submerged with it.

The allegations are confirmed with aerial photographs showing clearly the blue sewage waste and sludge against the riverbanks.

Cofferdams are closed up with earth embankments and forceful concrete walls.
With a visit of Record to the area, only the tops of concrete walls between the various sewage mud sludge dams could be seen and a deserted house in the middle of the field is up to window height covered in sewage sludge.

"During the rainy season the stench unbearable. If the wind comes from the east or on hot days, it is almost unbearable. " said Tony Gibson, who at a flight school about 600m from the sewage plant, told Record.

Inquiries to the municipality revealed that sewage plant now increased with about 30 ml / l per day more. The new plant is in the final stage of completion and almost ready to be used. Meanwhile, there is still an unmanageable influx into the treatment plant.
The expansion of the plant, according to the Africon report, kicked off with the first phase of
construction of the water and solids which was only planned for 2012 to 2014 , as late as it was, although already warned in 2006 that the plant has reached its maximum capacity. The second phase, according to the report scheduled to be first launched in 2027-2029.
The implementation of other phases of the water treatment and processing of solids will also be done and completed according to the report, written by the development in the area.

According to Riaan Bothma from the property developers Bondev, one of the first major developers in Centurion, in the past seven years, there was a strong growth in that area and there are serious doubts whether the new plant together with the old, will be sufficient to facilitate the sewage in the future He pointed out that the implementation of the Gautrain will stimulate additional growth in the area. "It is important that a municipality must be proactive in its planning to keep up with growth. The municipality in its monthly bills show a charge for water and also a charge for sewage disposal. Added together, there should be enough money in the municipal account in sufficient time to allow for sewage to grow with it," he said.

About 250m from the sewage plant is the natural underground emergency water reservoir of millions of gallons of water flowing from Centurion in the seventies supplied with water during drought.

It is unknown whether there is a geological impact study has been done to ensure that the precious water source becoming infected.

Raslouw Sewage Works - Centurion