MAINTENANCE work on sewage pipelines in Glen Marais will start on Saturday to prevent premises from being flooded with raw sewage during the rainy season.
“The sight and stench of sewage may be a thing of the past for residents on Quinine Street,” ward councillor Jaco Terblanche said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday Terblanche said Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality agreed to perform sewerage line maintenance along Quinine Street and Dann Road between Veld and Loam streets.
“The DA has been battling with this issue for more than two years, being inundated with calls from residents complaining about raw sewage infiltrating their yards, more so on rainy days. Apart from it being very unhygienic, the raw sewage poses a significant health risk to residents,” Terblanche said.
He said, following an investigation, the metro’s department of water and sanitation found the sewage system was often clogged by an accumulation of grease, oil and fat from food or cooking processes. The investigation is yet to determine whether or not these fats can be traced to a restaurant in the area.
“There is a possibility that the restaurant in question does not have sufficient fat traps in its internal line system,” Terblanche added.
The department also found that a high volume of storm water flows into the system during the rainy seasons because the storm water channels are being blocked by litter, most of which are discarded by residents. Storm water is then forced to flow into the gullies on the stands.
“The DA hopes the metro will keep its word and that it will maintain the system and clear this problem before the beginning of the rainy season. We also urge residents to work with the metro’s officials who will fix the system.
“Some of the main holes and sewerage lines run through residential properties, therefore requiring considerable cooperation from residents. For safety and security purposes, all maintenance officials will be wearing name tags as a form of identification to assure residents they are from Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
“Be vigilant and verify the authenticity and identity of the officials who will request access to your property for this project. We are aware of criminal elements who may want to use this opportunity to their benefit,” Terblanche warned.
Maintenance work requiring officials to access private properties will be scheduled on weekends when most residents are expected to be home. The DA will monitor the metro’s progress on this project.
Residents can call Terblanche on 083-413-2420 to verify if the officials are from Ekurhuleni before they let them in.
