PUBLIC NOTICE :: TO ALL INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES CONNECTED TO THE EMALAHLENI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY SEWER NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

The Emalahleni Local Municipality hereby invites all industrial companies connected to the municipal sewer network infrastructure to formally register their businesses with the municipality.

The municipality currently operates eight (8) conventional Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTWs) within its jurisdiction. These facilities are responsible for receiving raw sewage, treating it through various treatment processes within the plants, and discharging the final treated effluent into designated receiving water bodies. The effective operation and management of wastewater treatment works is therefore critical for environmental protection and the safeguarding of public health.

Wastewater treatment is a complex process that involves multiple stages of physical, biological, and chemical treatment methods aimed at removing harmful pollutants from wastewater. As the municipal wastewater treatment works are conventional in design, there has been increasing concern regarding Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) entering the municipal sewer systems.

These contaminants include, but are not limited to:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Personal care products
• Heavy metals
• Persistent organic pollutants
• Hydrocarbons
• Hormones
• Microplastics
• Corrosion inhibitors and other industrial chemicals

Such contaminants often originate from various industrial processes and activities. Historically, many of these substances were not included in routine monitoring programmes or regulatory frameworks. Consequently, they pose significant challenges to conventional wastewater treatment systems, which are not specifically designed to remove them.

The presence of these pollutants has placed increasing pressure on municipal wastewater infrastructure. In some instances, the treatment plants are unable to effectively remove certain contaminants, resulting in environmental concerns such as visible foam formation and other pollutant discharges downstream of the treatment works.

In order to better understand and manage the nature of industrial effluent entering the municipal sewer network, the municipality requires all industrial companies connected to the sewer system to register their operations and provide relevant information regarding their wastewater discharges.

This process will assist the municipality in:

• Identifying the types of pollutants entering the sewer network
• Planning and improving wastewater treatment processes
• Protecting municipal infrastructure
• Ensuring compliance with applicable environmental regulations

All affected industrial companies are therefore requested to register with the municipality as soon as possible.

For further information or to complete the registration process, please contact:

Emalahleni Local Municipality
Telephone: 013 690 6405 / 079 143 6800
Office Hours: 07:30 – 16:30
Email: Mabitselakd@emalahleni.gov.za