The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape says that most wastewater treatment works operated by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality have been producing effluent that does not comply with the standards for discharge into rivers or the sea.
Metro spokesperson for Public Health and DA-councilor, Anette Lovemore says the pollution of water resources is a criminal offense.
She says they have written to the City Manager to inform her that criminal charges will be laid against those responsible if the municipality does not provide a turnaround plan by Wednesday.
The compliance levels for the 2021/22 financial year show all larger facilities to be ill-functioning.
"The bacteriological results of samples taken along the Swartkops River since the beginning of this year show the highly negative impact of the Kelvin Jones works on the river. E.Coli levels are very high and the water has been rendered dangerous for human contact", Lovemore said.
She says the 2022 Green Drop Report, issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation, gave the Metro's wastewater treatment works an overall rating of 58% and estimated that over R112 million would be required to restore functionality.
Most recently, the Metro was issued with a fine of R2,5 million for its continued non-compliance, Lovemore said.
