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Monday, 23 August 2010 South African Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Sonjica Buyelwa confirmed on Friday that investigations regarding the quality of the water discharged at the troubled Aurora 's Groovlei mine near Springs were still under investigation by the police and the Blue Scorpions. She said in a written response to a Parliamentary question that pending the outcome of the investigations, further steps would be taken by the Department of Water Affairs. The department opened a criminal case against Aurora after it allegedly failed to comply with a directive to treat the pumped water before discharging it. Acid mine water started flooding the pump station at Grootvlei in June, after workers, angered by months of not being paid, downed tools. Workers retook to pumping the water, but the Minister said that to date no improvement in the quality of the water had been observed. 'Due to the mine 's financial position, there is still insufficient treatment of the effluent, thus resulting in noncompliance with the discharge standards stipulated in the water-use licence issued to the Grootvlei mine. ' Sonjica said that currently, the department continued to monitor the situation at the mine, as well as in the Blesbokspruit and downstream to the Ramsar wetland. Source Website:article/minister-says-grootvlei-water-quality-investigation-ongoing-2010-08-20 Author: Loni Prinsloo Date: 20th August 2010