Businessman irate over sewage
New and bigger pipes are due to be installed, but several snags have brought the project to a halt.
A business owner in Sebenza has expressed outrage after the sewerage system behind his business spewed raw sewage onto his premises.
Mr Ian Sinclair said it was not the first time the system was blocked and gushing out large volumes of foul liquid. “This has been going on for years,” he said.
He added that the smell was noxious and the business had to keep its doors closed due to the unsanitary nature of the spill and smell.
On October 24, large volumes of sewage were flowing from a man-hole and into a nearby stream, polluting the waterway and everything downstream.
Edenvale ward councillor, Clr Heather Hart, reported the problem to Mr Hendrik Botha of the water and wanitation eepartment in Edenvale.
Clr Hart said the problem would likely be around for some time, due to the fact that the sewerage system needs an urgent and long overdue upgrade. She added that the sewers in the area played-up, especially when it rained due to the small size of the current, yet aging, pipes.
New and bigger pipes are due to be installed, but several snags have brought the project to a halt.
“The water and sanitation department was proactive in budgeting years ago for the upgrade of the sewerage systems of Isandovale, Sebenza and Illiondale. However, the original contract ground to a halt in November 2011. It appeared to be due to cash flow problems with the contractor,” said Clr Hart.
Since then, due to “embarrassing delays” in appointing a suitable contractor, compounded by further delays in having to re-tender for consulting engineers (because the previous contract expired), the main phase of the project will only proceed in March 2014.
“Since then, the cost has escalated significantly,” she said.
Clr Hart said that until a new outfall sewer from Isandovale was installed, which will connect to the Johannesburg municipality sewer system adjacent to Modderfontein, nothing will change and sewer problems will persist.
Rainfall only further compromises the already overwhelmed sewer system. “Edenvale water and sanitation does its best, but there is only one team to deal with all of Edenvale’s plumbing problems,” she said.
Contractors are then relied upon to fill in where the municipal department cannot. “In a single day, there can be about seven to eight call-outs, so it is not surprising that we cannot cope during the rainy periods,” said Clr Hart.
