Sewage continues to be a problem in Alberton

Alberton residents are fed up with the increasingly deteriorating state of Alberton and the lack of service delivery.
The Alberton Record received several complaints about the sewage problems surrounding the community.

Darian Barnabas’s story

According to a Verwoerdpark resident, Darian Barnabas, every time after a heavy rainfall they remain troubled by the residue of toilet paper and excrement. This not only causes an intolerable smell but also poses a health risk.

“The city sent out someone on the last occasion, but little did I know they will only take pictures and not a word from them thereafter. The rains will cause the sewerage to flow into our yard.

“It has happened two or three times already. We had to pay the costs of fixing our pool which was filled with sewerage water, and doctor’s bills caused by the filth,” said Barnabas.

City of Ekurhuleni’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said Barnabas’s case concerns an incident that occurred on March 2, 2022, when 80mm of rain fell in Verwoerdpark in less than 30 minutes, flooding numerous streets and making them inaccessible.

“The sewer system was not blocked, but flooded with rainwater, as also many streets and stands in the area. The team visited the stand and witnessed the flooding and informed the owner that it was flooding as confirmed by the owner in his claim against the council,” said Dlamini.

Sello Motsamai’s story

Motsamai has been a resident of Brackendowns for about 11 years. According to him, for the first time his family had to live with their windows and doors closed since the recent heavy rainfalls due to the stench.

“As soon as I noticed the problem, I quickly reported it to the City of Ekurhuleni because it was unbearable to live with the dirt and conditions that we were living with throughout that time. All I am asking for is the city to take responsibility and fix the matter because this will be a continuous thing every time a heavy rain falls,” said Motsamai.

Dlamini said that when more than 300 mm of rain was recorded in the Alberton area between February 9 and February 13, a period during which the Alberton area’s annual average rainfall is 833mm. The situation was described as an overflow on February 10.

“Sello’s stand is situated on the boundary of the City of Ekurhuleni where the main outfall sewer exits our area. There was no blockage, but the sewer system was overflowing because of illegal stormwater infiltration into the system,” Dlamini explained.

Henlie Phillips’s story

For more than a week, Raceview resident Henlie Phillips has been dealing with a sewage situation.

Phillips said that despite her daily phone contact with the municipality, no one has resolved this health concern.

“For the past week, sewage has been running down our street in front of my house. I reported the matter and received a case number, went to the water and sanitation department numerous times, phoned our councillor, and had people come out. How is it possible to live under such horrific circumstances in a town where we pay rates and taxes for services?” Phillips asked.

The Alberton Record will provide more information on Phillips’s problem once the City of Ekurhuleni has commented on our query.

What is the barrier from the city to delivering service to the locals?

Response from the city: The Alberton service delivery area of Alberton, Thokoza, Edenpark and Katlehong receives on average 65 sewer complaints per day. The majority of them are attended to within a day or two.

Except in cases of extreme weather conditions and misuse of the system, we manage to service the residents within acceptable standards. Misuse of the system by allowing foreign objects into the system is causing most blockages in the system.

Rags, blankets, stones, bricks, hard paper, sand, cutlery, appliances, wood and many more are examples of foreign objects we find in sewer systems because of misuse of the system.