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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| SA sewage spill after power cuts | SA sewage spill after power cuts |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| More than 200m litres of raw sewage has been dumped into three rivers in South Africa because of power shortages. | More than 200m litres of raw sewage has been dumped into three rivers in South Africa because of power shortages. |
| The national electricity firm, Eskom, has introduced widespread load-shedding to cope with an unexpected surge in demand that it blames on bad weather. | The national electricity firm, Eskom, has introduced widespread load-shedding to cope with an unexpected surge in demand that it blames on bad weather. |
| The spillage happened when a cut unexpectedly shut down several sewage treatment works in South Africa's most densely populated province, Gauteng. | The spillage happened when a cut unexpectedly shut down several sewage treatment works in South Africa's most densely populated province, Gauteng. |
| The local water firm says most of it is flowing into a popular recreation dam. | The local water firm says most of it is flowing into a popular recreation dam. |
| Dramatic | Dramatic |
| The estimated 200m litres of raw sewage poured into the Apies, Hennops and Pienaars rivers around Johannesburg and Pretoria. | The estimated 200m litres of raw sewage poured into the Apies, Hennops and Pienaars rivers around Johannesburg and Pretoria. |
| Blackouts are not a usual occurrence in South Africa | |
| Rand Water says they flow towards the Hartebeespoort Dam, popular as a weekend recreational spot. | Rand Water says they flow towards the Hartebeespoort Dam, popular as a weekend recreational spot. |
| Engineers at the Tshwane Metropolitan Council said it could take up to three weeks to correct the system. | Engineers at the Tshwane Metropolitan Council said it could take up to three weeks to correct the system. |
| The spillage is one of the most dramatic effects of a recent wave of power outages across the country. | The spillage is one of the most dramatic effects of a recent wave of power outages across the country. |
| Eskom has blamed it on a coincidence of headaches: unseasonably cold and rainy weather wetting its coal supplies and raising demand just as the company had begun its summer maintenance schedule. | Eskom has blamed it on a coincidence of headaches: unseasonably cold and rainy weather wetting its coal supplies and raising demand just as the company had begun its summer maintenance schedule. |
| And this on top of a generating system already at breaking point. | And this on top of a generating system already at breaking point. |
| Another of South Africa's biggest minerals companies, Anglo Platinum, said two of its smelters had been badly affected by the outages. | Another of South Africa's biggest minerals companies, Anglo Platinum, said two of its smelters had been badly affected by the outages. |