THE MANAGEMENT OF WATER QUALITY ALONG THE UMLAZI LSECTION STREAM (KWAZULU – NATAL PROVINCE – REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA)

Abstract

According to the South African Constitution everyone has a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being and that environment must be protected through prevention of pollution, ecological degradation and must promote conservation. Water pollution observed at the Umlazi L-section stream can be caused by using stream as dumping site posing environmental, health risks. This study employed the use of quantitative measures to conduct the research and systematic experimental case study which showed empiricism value on this study rather than an ideology through a scale of triangulation. In order to ascertain the management of water quality between downstream and upstream, water samples from the Umlazi L section stream were taken and analysed in the laboratory comparing water quality parameters between the upstream and downstream samples. Also the perception of community members with regard to government standards on water standards and causes of poor water quality was determined through a survey. This important issue and other issues as concerns water will be discussed in this paper.