16 April 2025 Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners and their role in managing waste
Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners and their role in managing waste
16 April 2025
Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) are appointed to carry out duties as outlined in the National Health Act (Act 61 of 2003) and Health Professions Act (Act.56 of 1974). These duties, known as Municipal Health Services, are rendered within the jurisdiction of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). The jurisdiction includes Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Bitou, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland local municipal areas.
In terms of Section 1 of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003), municipal health includes:
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Food Control
- Waste Management
- Health Surveillance of Premises
- Supervision and Prevention of Contagious Diseases, excluding immunisation
- Vector Control
- Environmental Pollution Control
- Disposal of Human Remains
- Safe handling of Chemical Substances
Waste Management: Promoting Hygiene and Preventing Illegal Dumping
The waste management functions of EHPs include monitoring waste management systems, refuse, healthcare waste, hazardous waste, and sewage.
This means the EHPs have to monitor waste management systems, including health care waste, hazardous waste, sewage and wastewater. Whenever there area health nuisances during the storage, treatment, collection, handling and the disposal of various categories of waste, EHPs will act and issue non-compliance notices to the relevant authorities. If the issues persists, fines are issued.
More of their waste-related responsibilities include:
- Sampling any waste or waste product such as sewage or refuse for analyses.
- The identification of needs and motivation for the promotion of sanitation.
- Enforcement of Municipal Health By-Laws and the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003), in cases where health nuisances result from waste handling.
- Educate communities on issues of waste management and pollution control.
- Ensuring proper refuse storage, collection, transportation, transfer and processing, materials recovery, and final disposal.
- Ensuring proper management of liquid waste, including sewage and industrial effluent.
- Ensuring the proper storage, treatment, collection, transportation, handling and disposal of medical- and hazardous waste.
- Investigating and inspecting any activity related to the waste stream or any resulting by-products.
- The function excludes the operation of a waste management system rendered by Local Municipalities.
- Advocating proper sanitation.
Illegal dumping
Illegal dumping and littering remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. Although the management of illegal waste dumping is not a mandate of GRDM, a whole-of-society approach is essential to keeping the environment clean.
EHPs continuously educate the public about the impacts of illegal dumping. The impacts include environmental pollution, detrimental impacts on the natural resources and habitats around us, as well as biodiversity. The practitioners also create awareness about the diseases caused by illegal dumping and that it attracts rodents and vectors.
Illegal dumping should be reported to local municipalities:
Hessequa Municipality: 028 713 8000 (office hours) 028 713 7917 / 028 713 2222 (after hours)
Mossel Bay: 044 606 5143, 044 606 5000 of 44802 (sms) or admin@mosselbay.gov.za
George: 044 801 6350 or gmun@george.gov.za
Knysna: 044 302 6405 / 060 998 7073 (WhatsApp) or rloxton@knysna.gov.za
Bitou: 044 501 3174/5 or customercare@bitou.gov.za
Oudtshoorn: 044 203 3900 or 044 203 7800/1
Kannaland: 028 551 8000 (office) / 061 602 1095 or customercare@kannaland.gov.za (customercare)
Johan Compion
Manager: Municipal Health & Environmental Services
E-mail: info@gardenroute.gov.za
Tel: 044 803 1300 / Cell: 082 803 5161
Contact details for each municipality:
Bitou Municipality
George Municipality
Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality
Hessequa Municipality
Kannaland Municipality
Knysna Municipality
Mossel Bay Municipality
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