Wetland plagued by sewage spills
“Now, not only is the Spartan pump house not functioning, despite assurances it was fixed, but the immediate vicinity is plagued by spills.”
An unrepaired sewage pump station in Spartan has resulted in countless litres of sewage flowing unabated into the greater Illiondale Wetland.
After identifying pollution in the wetland last June, Dr Irwin Juckes of Edenvale River Watch sought the source, leading him to the pump station found off Vuurslag Avenue.
When Bedfordview and Edenvale NEWS met with Dr Juckes last week, he said the problem had not been resolved.
This was evident by the volume of wastewater flowing out of the municipal property via a manmade trench, which appeared to have been purposefully dug as a temporary solution to alleviate the amount of sewage on the property.
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The infrastructure at the pump station was either non-functional or vandalised.
According to Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart and Dr Juckes, the municipal property was damaged last July when a nearby waste management company caught alight.
Hart said since then, residents have complained about a sewage smell pervading the area.
At the time, DEMS told the NEWS’ sister publication, Kempton Express, that the cause of the fire was unknown and no injuries were reported.
Juckes said below the structure of the pump station is a large sump meant to pump the sewage away.
Originally, the CoE did not pump waste past its regional boundaries.
Via a series of pump stations, the wastewater was pumped back to Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (Erwat) facilities, where it was treated.
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Jukes said as time progressed, municipalities started connecting infrastructure using a network.
“In 2018, the city planned to phase out the pumphouse by adding a gravity sewer line to join the gravity line in Illiondale,” said Dr Juckes.
“This was done at the Illiondale pump houses a few years earlier to eliminate a similar problem.”
However, the project was abandoned.
“It was abandoned without informing the registered interests and affected parties.
“Now, not only is the Spartan pump house not functioning, despite assurances it was fixed but the immediate vicinity is plagued by spills,“ he said.
One of his greatest concerns is for how long the waste has flowed into the wetland.
He understand that greater development will occur and green belts won’t last forever.
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Dr Jukes believes there is insufficient value put on wetlands.
Some mammal species living in the wetland include scrub hares, cane rats and slender and water mongoose.
He said this spill not only affects the wetland and the immediate stream following through it, but also the Modderfontein and Jukskei rivers down to Hartbeespoort Dam.
When asked if he had any insight into why the project was abandoned he said he did not.
He said when he spoke to officials working on it, they told him they were taken off the project, and no one knew why it had stalled.
In October, an email between city officials stated that the city was waiting on fittings to complete the repairs.
It had reportedly installed a new 240mm armoured core cable, purchased a new pump, installed a new electrical panel and replaced stolen cables taken from the pump.
Juckes said because of the pump station’s location, the amount of wastewater flowing into the wetland is not evident or noticeable to the public.
A request for comment was sent to the CoE on January 11, requesting comment by January 15 at 09:00.
At the time of going to print, no comment was received.
