Sewage leak worries the community of Bryanfern

The smell caused by a leaking sewage outlet is so bad, that the stink resembles that of a rotting corpse.

Community members of Bryanfern are at their wits end with the huge amounts of sewage flowing downstream from the Jukskei River into the Bryanfern Spruit and it poses a threat to the health of residents.

According to Natascha Conradie of the Bryanfern Residents Association, the matter was first escalated on November 8 2022. Since then it has been escalated 28 times to Johannesburg Water.

The association is concerned that a repeat of last year’s Hammanskraal cholera outbreak, which claimed 20 lives, could occur in the area. A resident of the area Paul Hanly said, “The situation is an accident waiting to happen. It’s been so bad that during the late afternoon or early evening, you can’t even sit outside because of the smell. The problem is particularly severe during winter as there is no rain to wash away the awful smell during the dry season.
“Year after year they [the municipality] are spending more on their operational budget, in other words, staff salaries and patching up problems, rather than on capital expenditure.”

The smell not only affects Bryanfern residents but Fourways residents can smell it too. Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe on March 7, received a call about a body because of the awful smell only to find out it was the smell of dead animals mixed with sewage. When Sandton police officers searched the area they found animals being slaughtered, the wind was blowing the smell onto Main Road which got residents worried.

“While these animals are being slaughtered, they are washed in the river. The unused parts are thrown into the water which mixed with the sewage, making the smell unbearable,” said one of the officers.

Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer has repeatedly brought sewage leaks to the attention of the city. She pointed out that public entities like Johannesburg Water had a service level agreement with the city

that clearly stated that sewage leaks needed to be repaired within 48 hours and burst pipes repaired within three days.
“Councillors have WhatsApp escalation groups that include depot managers, regional managers and usually the managing director of the company. It’s the councillors’ way of saying there’s an issue that the city is not paying attention to. But nothing happens. I have also raised the sewage problem at three councillor forum meetings, on June 29, August 29 and October 24 last year. I was told that the issue would be investigated and she would receive feedback. Since then, nothing has happened,” said Koekemoer.

According to Conradie, there are more than 80 sewage leaks between the Klein Jukskei, a tributary of the Jukskei River that ultimately runs into the Hartbeespoort Dam and Bronkhorstspruit River. “Unless the matter is addressed as a matter of urgency, the Bryanfern Residents Association says it will have no option but to seek legal advice.”

JMPD and Johannesburg Water were contacted on March 11. Updates will be provided as soon as they become available.

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