![\"night](\"https:\/\/umngeniriverwalk.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/07\/night-fracking.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI was brought up on the adage \u201cwhen in doubt, don\u2019t\u201d and to me, this applies to the issue of fracking\u00a0\u2013 \u00a0there are no guarantees that our water resources will not be severely impacted.<\/p>\n
The fracking belt in KZN:<\/p>\n
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- Lies against the Drakesberg (amongst other areas) \u2013 the birthplace of our rivers<\/li>\n
- Crosses three major rivers \u2013 the Tugela, the uMngeni and the uMkomaas. The Greater uMngeni River Catchment is of strategic significance to South Africa as it supports the third largest economic hub in the country, namely the City of Durban, through the supply of water necessary to deliver water and sanitation services for social and economic needs. Can we risk these rivers becoming contaminated?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Fracking](\"https:\/\/umngeniriverwalk.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/07\/fracking-midlands-map.jpg?w=640&h=509\")
<\/a><\/p>\nChemicals<\/b><\/p>\n
Arsenic, Chlorides, Radon, Radium, diesel oil and benzene are some of the ingredients blasted into the shale.<\/p>\n
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- Up to 200,000 litres of chemicals used per frack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The chemicals are either:<\/p>\n
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- left behind underground to filter into our ground water and water courses and could enter aquifers (=contaminated borehole water) \u00a0or<\/li>\n
- pumped into slimes dams on the surface which are either left to evaporate (with the risk of overflow in our high rainfall area) or have the sludge removed to sewage works for disposal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Picture1.pnglimes](\"https:\/\/umngeniriverwalk.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/07\/picture1-pnglimes-dams.jpg?w=640&h=453\")
<\/a><\/p>\n- \n
- Sewage works in SA are not coping with current loads (in the USA sewage works are cancelling fracking contracts as they can\u2019t cope with the loads)<\/li>\n
- Sewage works cannot remove the toxic chemicals<\/li>\n
- Sewage works return treated water to rivers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Water <\/b><\/p>\n
Current projections are that by 2030 KZN will run out of available water. Apparently the miracle answer for fracking is sea water. \u00a0Salt water entering our aquifers and rivers?\u00a0 In the USA drinking water of some entire communities is contaminated and fresh water is trucked in \u2013 by the fracking companies.<\/p>\n
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- Up to 20 Million litres water used per frack<\/li>\n
- Each fracking well uses enough water to fill 12,800 swimming pools<\/li>\n
- Each well pad has up to 32 wells: that\u2019s 640 million litres of water per well pad.<\/li>\n
- Currently the uMngeni River supplies 1,000 million litres of water per day to the Midlands and Durban, so each well pad will use up the equivalent of just over one days supply of water to the above mentioned areas \u2013 and there will be thousands of well pads.<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t forget the abovementioned sewage works\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Up to 200,000 litres of chemicals used per frack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n