Matla Power station

Sewage and Effluent Spillages

Management Awareness
What is sewage spillage

• Sewage, or domestic/municipal wastewater, is a type of wastewater

that is produced by a community of people.

• A sewage spill is when sewage from a waste treatment cycle

overflows, leaks or spills into:

• Water body

• Land area

• Building

• Recreational waterway

• High pressure systems will push leaks to the soil surface where they
can be easily detected by sight or odor

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Septic Systems

• On Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF), also called septic systems, are

wastewater systems designed to treat and dispose of effluent on the
same property that produces the wastewater. They can be used in
areas that are not connected to a sewerage system, such as rural
areas.

• A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete,

fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater (sewage)
flows for basic treatment.

• Settling and anaerobic processes reduce solids and organics, but the
treatment efficiency is only moderate (referred to as "primary
treatment").

• The treated liquid effluent is commonly disposed in a septic drain field,

which provides further treatment. Nonetheless, groundwater pollution
may occur and can be a problem.
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What causes sewage spillages

• When wastewater treatment plants or pump-stations experience a

mechanical fault such as loss of electrical power.

• Broken sewer mains can also cause sewage spills

• Blocked sewer system can cause sewage to back up and cause a

spillage

• Pipe leaks

• Inadequate carrying capacity

• Flooding

• Seismic activity, loss of foundation due to washout

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 Effects of Sewage Spillages on the
Environment
• If sewage is only partially treated or untreated before it is disposed of,
it can contaminate water and harm huge amounts of wildlife

• Untreated sewage can destroy aquatic ecosystems

• Threatens human livelihoods, when the associated biological

oxygen demand and nutrient loading deplete oxygen in the water to
levels too low to sustain life.

• Infectious diseases, like cholera, typhoid fever and other diseases

gastroenteritis, diarrhea, vomiting, skin and kidney problem are
spread through polluted water.

• Wastewater effluents contain nutrients such as nitrogen and

phosphorus, high concentrations can result in adverse effects.
Excess plant growth, especially algae, leads to eutrophication of the
receiving surface water bodies.

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Legal Implications of non-compliance

• IN TERMS OF SECTION 39 OF THE NATIONAL WATER ACT, 1998

(ACT NO. 36 OF 1998) (THE ACT)
•Administrative fines: Section 24G of the National Environmental Management Act which requires an
upfront administrative fine of R1 million

•Shutting down of businesses or stopping production processes

•Litigation (lawsuits) or individual prosecution (jail time) or other consequences.

•Contractors who are using potable or mobile toilets should send the sewage waste disposal
certificates to the Environmental Department to ensure that waste is disposed of at a registered site.

efits.doc

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 Legal Implications of non-compliance

Non-compliance may result in fines of R1 million or more, shutting down

of businesses, litigation, individual prosecution or other consequences.

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Reporting

• Each individual or contractor in any

Department/section is responsible for
reporting any non-conformances to
the immediate manager or
supervisor.

• The supervisor/manager is
responsible to generate a flash report
and submit to the environmental
officer within 24 hours of the incident
occurring.

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 Details of flash report

1. Include as much details regarding the description of the incident

2. Where applicable indicate the root cause or what initiated the
event
3. Indicate immediate actions taken to rectify the incident/non-
conformance.
4. Contact details for the investigation (Investigations should be
completed within 7 days of the incidence occurring)
5. Submit the flash report the environmental department within 24 hours

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THANK YOU

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