Residents complain of overflowing sewage

The City of Cape Town is accused of delaying fixing drain leakages resulting in unbearable living conditions in some areas. Supplied

The City of Cape Town is accused of delaying fixing drain leakages resulting in unbearable living conditions in some areas. Supplied

Published Aug 13, 2022

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Cape Town - The end of the winter season may give relief to some Capetonians as it will mean fewer drains overflowing and sewage spills.

Some citizens have reported recurring sewage and stormwater drain blockages in their communities which led them to endure living in a contaminated environment for a prolonged period during the wet season.

Reports came from residents in Delft, Elsies River, Vrygrond and Lotus River among other affected areas.

These are people who experienced the blockages of drains, either flooding their yards or the streets. They accused the City of Cape Town of dragging its feet in attending to complaints.

“You get a reference number and yet nothing is done,” said Cheron Dick from Leiden Avenue in Delft.

“At our circle it’s always a mess with the blocking of our drains, s**t is running out at the top road and it stinks of sewage. Our drains are always blocked and when you call the council to clean up they take days sometimes weeks before they drain the water.”

Rosetta Pietersen lives in Chari Crescent said: “When it rains the floors are under water, it’s only in summer that we don’t have many problems. As a result I am regularly at the clinic because this is not good for our health. I get sick. I don’t want to talk about the children, they can’t even play outside.“

Delayed response towards repairing blocked drains forces residents to find alternative solutions. Supplied

A resident in Lotus River, Amanda Coetzee said about four houses are soaked in sewage water since late July and attempts to get help from the City failed as “it’s a recurring problem and don’t even clean when they come out. They just open the lines with the jet, they don’t even clean.”

In Vrygrond, Ntombizandile Rasmeni said the problem has been going for many years and the City doesn’t seem to have a lasting solution. She said she had resorted in placing a huge stone on a open leaking storm drain in front of her house as the City hasn’t replaced the lead and the water runs to her yard. Her recent incident was last week and the City cleaned the drain on August 6, three days after a complaint was logged.

At Trinity Place in Elsies River the City of Cape Town repaired a leak which flooded the street.

Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said from May to date, there had been 35 963 complaints of blocked drains and sewer overflows that has been logged from various areas across the city. He said the City’s Waste and Water teams are currently doing proactive maintenance to check and to avoid further unattended blockages.

“The City continuously repairs damage from vandalism and clears sewers blocked by inappropriate items that shouldn’t be in the sewer pipeline. Overflows, however, will continue to happen, as long as misuse or vandalism occurs, and sewers continue to be blocked by items that should not be in the system such as material and fats. Expenditure varies, on average, for the 2022 financial year, the cost per blockage was approximately R1 900,” said Badroodien.

Mayco member for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross, said: “City Health would advise residents to avoid direct contact and or exposure to wastewater or any other contaminant, as far as possible. Any malodours linked to spills, while a nuisance, should not cause any illness."