Some eThekwini rivers in dire state: WaterCAN KZN
An initiative by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has raised the alarm about the state of many eThekwini rivers.
"It is quite clear that our rivers are in a critical state and unless there is really urgent intervention of our water treatment works, we are really in trouble," says WaterCAN's KZN representative, Jonathan Erasmus.
The Water Community Action Network held its second Annual Water Testing Week across South Africa on 17 to 24 September.
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It saw some 600 citizen science activists testing the quality of the water sources around them using self-test kits provided by WaterCAN.
Erasmus says they found some of the province's rivers, particularly in and around eThekwini, in a dire state.
"When we tested La Mercy, obviously that test turned black because there is going to be traces of animal and plant waste inside the water.
"But, interestingly the metrics for E. coli was very colourful. The Umbilo and Umgeni River were shocking to put it lightly but both of them were very bad - horrific results. Umbilo River was just as poor also very poor quality. We got a systemic problem with our rivers."
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Erasmus says communities that wish to test water quality in their neighbourhoods can request a test kit on WaterCAN's website.
