| Water Options Considered By Umgeni Water | |
 Plans are being considered to avoid water shortages in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Umgeni Water is considering a radical plan to recycle sewage and other waste water into drinking-quality tap water.
Consultants have been appointed by Umgeni Water to assess public perceptions with regard to these possiblities.There are two options that this firm is considering. Firstly the possibility of purifying domestic effluent at the Darvill waste-water treatment works in the Pietermaritzburg area. The other option involves collecting water from the Umgeni River, which is heavily polluted, and purifying it at Umlaas Road, near Camperdown. Umgeni Water first began their investigation in 2006 from which a focus group met last year to enquire about public opinions. Concerns were raised that the first option to purify sewage effluent at Darvill may run the risk of "public sabotage" due to sensitivities related to drinking recycled sewage effluent. The second option would indirectly involve recycling sewage effluent due to the presence of informal settlements along the Umgeni River. Other concerns raised at the focus meeting related to cultural and religious-based objections to drinking purified effluent. Public concerns included certain doubts regarding the competent operation of sewage-treatment plants of certain municipalities and the safety of drinking purified sewage water. The question of the presence of heavy metals and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the treated water from the Darvill works was also raised. In both cases environmental concerns needed to be taken into consideration as drawing large volumes of water for human use would reduce the amount of water in the Umgeni River. It was suggested that before decisions were made other possibilities could be considered such as desalinating sea water, collecting rainwater from roofs of houses or the building of new dams. The consultants plan to arrange a "reference group" meeting during April to be able to evaluate the situation.
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