A Witpoort property along Denne Road next to a wetland and stormwater drain is frequently inundated with a recurring sewage smell, as leaks from a Minnebron sewage pump flow into the surrounding wetland.

The residents of the property shared a chain of emails dating back to May 15, 2025, reporting the problem to the City of Ekurhuleni.

In the initial email, resident Joanne Greyling claimed the issue had been ongoing for a couple of years, adding that workers occasionally arrived to put a chemical in the sewage to reduce the smell.

On August 28, the Brakpan Herald questioned the city about the recurring issue.

On September 1, city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the incident was caused by a non-operational Minnebron sewer pump station.

The pump station was not operating due to a broken rising main that was dislodged or shifted by tree roots, Dlamini said, adding that the tree was cut and removed and the pipe repaired on August 4.

Dlamini added that the pump station has been operational and the matter resolved since then. On a visit to the property on September 3, the Herald noted that the stench remained strong.

The wetland water flowing under the road was the tell-tale grey colour of sewage-contaminated water, with clumps of algae.

Greyling told the Herald that the problem recurs continually, endangering the wetland, damaging their property, and lately making them “gatvol”.

Initially, she says, someone from the municipality did occasionally stop by to treat the water to reduce the smell and biological danger, but this has not happened in a long time.

Now she is concerned about the impact on the wetland, which she considers an endangered wilderness, and on the surrounding residents’ safety and health as the sewage seeps into the groundwater.

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A follow-up inquiry was sent to the city on September 4, asking the following:

Will someone from the city be assigned to treat the area chemically, or by flushing the standing sewage away to reduce the smell?

Are there any investigations planned to identify the source of the sewage and repair it? If the source is the Minnebron pump station, why have several repair efforts and maintenance over the years yielded no improvements in the continued sewage spills?

As wetland ecosystems are endangered in South Africa, what remedial steps must the city take to protect the area?

Are there chemical treatments to render the sewage safe for wildlife? Response is awaited and will be published when it is received.

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