Incessant sewage problems in Elandsfontein wreak havoc
“Due to the sewage, flooding and other issues, the school no longer offers sporting activities.”
Another year has passed, but the problems for Dassie Street residents and Sizwe Secondary School in Elandsfontein remain.
The sewage infrastructure verges on collapse and the spills leak onto the school’s premises in Elandsfontein.
Every time it rains, the Dassie Street properties flood.
One could say it is the same story, just a different pen, with the city singing the same song – “There is no budget”.
@bedfordview.edenv Residents of Dassie Street in Elandsfontein have faced constant flooding during heavy rains for the past three years. Despite numerous reports to the municipality, no action has been taken to resolve the issue. One family was seen cleaning up their home after being flooded once again.#Elandsfontein #Flooding #Heavyrains #cityofekurhuleni
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Unattended, this issue is worsening.
This paper first learnt of the situation in June 2022, and the city admitted that sewage had affected the school since 2019.
Since then, the GCN has monitored developments, but little to nothing has been done to address the issue.
The illegal connections to a Hattingh Street substation are attributed to these challenges, but this was not the genesis of the residents’ difficulties in this part of the town.
@bedfordview.edenv Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro with DA’s member of parliament Michéle Clarke address flooding and sewage issues affecting residents of Dassie Street in Elandsfontein. Obedience Mkhabela reports.#cityofekurhuleni #elandsfontein #flooding
According to city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, there was a problem with the electricity supply to the Hattingh Street sewer pump station because of illegal connections to the mini substation supplying the pump station. Since then, several stakeholders have been involved but found no solutions.
Environmental health practitioner Olivia Ndlovu visited the school in July 2022 because this paper reported on the issue and its questions to the CoE.
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Ward councillor
Speaking to Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro on a February 14 tour of the school and Dassie Street with DA MPL Michéle Clarke, he said more government departments must intervene to address the issues causing the school’s problems, but nothing has been done.
The principal explained that the school has 1 423 learners who live under harsh conditions.
When asked about the extent of the sanitation problems at the school, Guerreiro said it was frequently under sewage because of infrastructure issues.
“This affects over 1 400 children who must learn around constant water and sewage,” said Guerreiro.
“This has been going on since before I became a councillor for the area.
“The school and Elandsfontein residents have to live with multiple infrastructure problems – blockages, collapsed pipes and the sewer system,” said Guerreiro.
“The health risks are huge, and the students and staff constantly learn under the smell of sewage and rodents. The school has reported a big sick leave problem because of the constant sewage war.
“Despite having the administration from Ekurhuleni on site multiple times, running a petition and asking questions to the council, nothing has happened. This matter was also reported to the Human Rights Commission, but they never came back to me.
“I have also tried to encourage the community to stand together and fight for service delivery, but political interference has caused a divide.
“The school has tried to keep its children using a quarter of the property but, unfortunately, zero help from the Gauteng Education Department (GDE) and Ekurhuleni.
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“We need permanent solutions from Ekurhuleni by having a budget that addresses infrastructure upgrades, the rehabilitation of the wetland and rehousing the 5 400 informal houses of eMabhondeni informal settlement,” said Guerreiro.
Guerreiro said the next plan is to get the school governing body, parents and students involved in a mass petition for Clarke to submit to the national parliament.
“The community has been updated about these conditions in a WhatsApp group. When the community raises issues like the flooding on Dassie Street, they get reported to the relevant MMC and departments. I will continue to submit formal questions to the council.
“Due to the sewage, flooding and other issues, the school no longer offers sporting activities, disadvantaging the learners because sports and cultural activities are crucial for their development.
“The school staff are scared of a cholera outbreak and the health risks of still water, sewage and rodents. This is why 1 400+ learners must play on a quarter of the school property, leading to fighting and bullying because the space is congested.
“The school floods when it rains, and some classrooms are permanently under sewage. With the collapse of the Elandsfontein wetland, the water can’t go anywhere. Mass sewage overflowing from drains blocked stormwater systems, and the collapse of the wetland means everything has become a human rights disaster cocktail.
“There is no prevention of classes from getting flooded on rainy days. Unfortunately, the school can do nothing with a low budget. The GDE and Ekurhuleni do nothing to help. We can’t wait until this becomes a national disaster on national news outlets.
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“Diarrhoea, breathing problems and skin rashes were reported in the past. When I visit the school, it is impossible to breathe. I can’t imagine students and teachers breathing with constant sewage. The methane is high in the air. The school now keeps a log book of those reporting sick.
“I visit the school often to take photos, which get reported to the health and relevant departments. While this is from an Ekurhuleni aspect, I also report this constantly to the GDE.
“People regularly burn things at the dump site, and the smoke impacts the school, nearby households, and the manufacturing plant. We also have people stealing power and water,” said Guerreiro.
“As the councillor, I am at the mercy of government and a middleman pleading for officials and administrations to help in this case.”
City of Ekurhuleni
What measures are in place to deal with the causes of the sewage deposit at the school?
“The pump station is operational but experiences power supply challenges like phase failures and under-voltage because of illegal connections on the supply cable, resulting in the pump not running due to insufficient power supply and tripping,” said Dlamini.
“The CoE’s Energy Department was notified about the illegal connections and plans to get them removed so the station can work normally. The pump running under voltage results in constant tripping and damages the pump because of high amps.
“The department also plans to install backup generators to run the pump during power outages.
“The other contributing factor to the pump station is the abuse of the sewer system. Foreign objects like rugs, stones, sand and more get deposited in the sewer system and eventually end up at the pump station, resulting in pipe and pump blockages/damage.
“Residents are urged to use the sewer system properly and not put foreign objects into the system,” said Dlamini.
School governing body (SGB)
SGB chairperson Kenny Phogole told this paper that the sewage problem affects teaching and learning.
Those with sinusitis and asthma have it worse, and others cough and have other symptoms.
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Residents
Dineo Pienaar, an affected Dassie Street resident, said things were better because the city could unblock the sewer with ease before the informal settlement moved in.
“For the past five years, we have lived under these harsh conditions. We live underwater every day. When it rains, we cannot sleep and must use buckets to clean up the water.
“There are little ones in the house, and their medical bills are always up. We can’t even move or sell the house because no one can buy it.
“We have come to terms with living in these conditions. Three of my daughters have asthma,” said Piennar.
The Dassie home flooded again on February 18 and 19.
