Water, Sewage & Effluent March-April 2018 | Page 7

“The fact that certain cold meats may contain listeria bacteria means that these food products are condemned and should, therefore, be classified as infectious waste to be disposed of responsibly. Simply discarding the food in the waste bin will not solve the problem, as waste pickers could go through the bags and bins to recover this waste before it is collected and transported to the landfill site. Landfill waste pickers, who recover recyclable material from landfills, are also at risk,” says Professor Suzan Oelofse, past-president of IWMSA. The correct method to dispose of infectious food is to return it to the store or manufacturer from which it was purchased for responsible disposal through thermal treatment or lime-treated trenching at licenced engineered landfills. Consumers and businesses within the food and hospitality industry can search www.allwastesolutions.co.za, the buyer’s guide of the waste industry, for reputable treatment and disposal facilities and services where these food items can be safely managed. The website has been created in collaboration with and is fully endorsed by IWMSA and its members. The IWMSA supports the Department of Health’s efforts to educate and inform the public about this foodborne disease. The department’s website (www.health.gov.za) can be consulted for informative documents regarding the listeriosis disease. u The worst outbreak of listeriosis in the world is presently underway in South Africa, where more than 100 people have already died from the disease. Water Sewage & Effluent March/April 2018 5 Considering the latest updates regarding the listeria outbreak, herewith a statement from the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) in which the organisation highlights the correct method for consumers to dispose of food that may be contaminated with the fatal bacterium. The Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, announced that notices of safe recall had been issued to Enterprise Foods in Polokwane and Rainbow Chicken in Sasolburg owing to traces of listeria being found at these production facilities. The announcement has caused further public concern and outcry over its announcement. IWMSA would like consumers to be aware of the safe disposal method of food that may be contaminated. technology Listeriosis advisory Stellenbosch has been developing its water-conservation plan over the past three years, part of which are several containerised borehole water treatment plants. mitigate the effects of the drought and push out the Day Zero scenario even further. The Stellenbosch Local Municipality is in the process of installing smart meters and water-management devices to reduce water losses and increase revenue collection. The boreholes that are being installed and equipped will also be monitored to ensure responsible aquifer management. u As part of a R60-million emergency water-augmentation project, the Stellenbosch Local Municipality has awarded 10 contractors — four drilling contractors, two civils, and four mechanical contractors — contracts to drill up to 20 new boreholes and equip seven existing boreholes, as well as develop at least eight new containerised borehole water- treatment plants. The project aims to make Stellenbosch independent from the City of Cape Town’s water supply system by mid-2018. S t e l l e n b o s c h h a s b e e n d e v e l o p i n g i t s w a t e r- conservation plan over the past three years and has called on the expertise and experience of Hatch to fine-tune a Drought Response Plan for both the municipality and for Stellenbosch University. The Drought Response Plan involves the design and implementation of several new boreholes and containerised borehole water-treatment plants at the Tygerberg campus and at the Bellville Business School campus. “We are in the construction phase at present, with six new irrigation boreholes for the Stellenbosch campus and five boreholes for the Tygerberg campus,” Hatch’s Pieter de Kock explains. Stellenbosch Mayor Gesie van Deventer explained to Eyewitness News: “As we continue to connect the boreholes to our main water-supply system, our water dependence on the City of Cape Town will decrease significantly.” It is expected that Klapmuts, Franschhoek, Dwarsrivier, and Wemmershoek will be connected by the end of Q1 2018. Taking these areas off the City of Cape Town’s main water-supply system will also assist the Mother City Averting Day Zero