Jukskei River sewage pollution crisis deepens amid no action
The Jukskei River sewage crisis is worsening, with residents reporting illnesses and environmental devastation as raw effluent continues to flow. Ward Clr Jill Humphreys says the river has become “a sewer”.
The Jukskei River continues to face a severe pollution crisis, with raw sewage flowing through residential areas in Morninghill and Senderwood, raising serious health and environmental concerns.
Ward 20 Clr Jill Humphreys described the situation as dire, which made her run a petition urgently demanding bioremediation of the polluted river.
“People are falling ill. Toxic sewage fumes are causing nausea, nosebleeds and respiratory problems. Adjacent homes cannot open doors or windows. It’s really terrible,” she said.
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Humphreys warned that the environmental damage is escalating rapidly, “Aquatic life is dead and bird life is disappearing. Unless urgent interventions are found, it is no longer a river but rather a sewer.”
Meanwhile, residents have reported ongoing illnesses linked to the pollution, including breathing difficulties and other health complications.
Beyond human health, the river ecosystem has been devastated, with wildlife disappearing and water quality deteriorating to dangerous levels.
Humphreys criticised the fragmented approach by local government departments.
“Silo management is a major weakness. Water and stormwater departments operate separately from environmental departments, making it difficult to align efforts.
“By the time environmental officials report the issue, the damage is already done,” stated Humphreys.
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Humphreys believes fresh thinking is needed to address the crisis.
“We cannot keep doing the same thing when it has clearly failed. Water treatment plants are extremely costly to manage. Innovations like bioremediation need to be explored.”
She added that ageing infrastructure cannot keep up with rapid densification in suburbs, “Suburbs are being densified beyond the capacity of existing infrastructure. Without significant and ongoing upgrades, it is going to get much worse before it gets better.”
On the role of residents, Humphreys noted, “Real change only comes at the ballot box. In the meantime, active citizenry can pursue solutions and apply pressure on government to do its job.”
CoE responds
City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that officials investigated the matter on September 10.
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“Our teams investigated the source of the pollution on September 10 after we heard about the incident on September 9. The source has been identified, and our teams are attending to the problem.”
On co-ordination with other municipalities, Dlamini said, “We are working with all stakeholders to ensure the situation is resolved. This includes the CoJ and the relevant national departments.
