CoJ responds to sewage contamination at Jukskei River

In recent months residents have raised concerns linked to the deterioration state of the Jukskei River.

In an article published on August 28, residents had reported experiencing headaches, nausea and respiratory attributed to the river’s poor condition.

This was due to alleged raw sewage that was leaking into the river, with the source at Bruma.

ALSO READ: Locals demand action as Jukskei River pollution worsens

This sparked outrage from Morninghill residents who are residing closer to where the river flows.

At the time when the NEWS visited the area, foreign objects could be identified in the river.

When the NEWS questioned if there had been any progress to address the matter, CoJ’s spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said: “As and when there is any spillage within the area, Joburg Water teams are immediately sent to unblock the blockages.

“For the previous months, there were incidents of blockages and they were immediately attended to.

“There is ongoing monitoring around the area and the sources are always identified, but the occurrence cannot be stopped but mitigated where it is possible.”

He said sewer patrollers are continually monitoring the sewer network in the Bruma Catchment.

Additionally, Johannesburg Water (JW) is exploring potential bargaining options to address the challenges posed by superimposed infrastructure within their network, particularly in the inner city, where most sewer issues arise.

“A task team has been established, comprising all key stakeholders, to tackle the problem of illegal buildings that are improperly connected in the city centre and the Bezvalley area.

“Furthermore, water quality in the streams is monitored monthly, with samples collected by the regional Environmental Health practitioner.

ALSO READ: Resident laments poor state of Jukskei River

This proactive measure provides early warnings of potential problem areas and health risks, guiding where intervention is necessary.

“The city has partnered with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on an initiative to enhance urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the City of Johannesburg,” explained Modingoane.

This initiative will include efforts to manage waste and debris along the Bruma Catchment, where residents are employed to clean the area and control invasive alien plant species.

“We understand how distressing it can be to face health challenges and environmental degradation in the community. Health and safety come first and is top priority.

“Residents are urged to work with the city and report any service breakdowns including vandalism of infrastructure and illegal connections to the network,” he said.

ALSO READ: Spillage devastates Edenvale’s river

The CoE’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini stated, “The city is aware that the pollution affects our residents too, as raised by Bedfordview and Edenvale newspaper and as the City of Ekurhuleni we are not in any way going to neglect the incidences. We will try to assist where possible to avoid any contamination in our environment and ecosystem.”