Fight for Swartspruit rehabilitation continues
Cllr Tracy Laurenco piles on the pressure on the City of Ekurhuleni to prioritise the cleanliness of the Swartspruit river.
Over the years, the Kempton Express has reported on the deterioration of the Swartspruit River, and it seems there has been little to no change.
The Swartspruit originates in Isando and ends up in the Rietvlei Dam, one of the major dams supplying water to Pretoria.
Pollution of the Swartspruit was an ongoing concern for residents and the stench of sewage emanating from the river was prevalent in many Kempton Park communities.
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“We are inundated with calls from concerned residents in Edleen regarding the deterioration of the Swartspruit because the cholera outbreak takes centre stage in the media.
“We need to take every precaution and ensure we protect our water bodies,” said Ward 104Clr Tracy Lourenco.
She said in 2018, a motion was tabled in council requesting the CoE to take immediate action to locate the source of sewage contaminating the spruit and to implement appropriate rehabilitation measures to improve water quality.
However, the CoE rejected this motion.
“With significant progress made to reduce pollution in the Swartspruit, we urge residents not to put foreign objects into the sewer infrastructure.
“The water and sanitation department also encourages residents to report all sewer leaks and blockages to the Call Centre so there is a reference, which will assist with tracking progress on work done and resolving complaints,” said Lourenco.
Responding to the enquiry we sent to the CoE, spokesperson Zweli Dlamini stated that the rehabilitation of the stream was planned to take place in the new financial year, 2023/24, and all sewer blockages reported were attended to, preventing further or continuous flow into the stream.
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“The city has preventative maintenance plans which it follows to prevent the sewer overflows and pollution to water bodies in Kempton Park.
“The preventative maintenance plans include sweeping sewer lines, continuous site inspections of sewer manholes for damaged channels and removal of roots and foreign objects, stream inspections weekly, and grass cutting on the sewer mainline on the veld for visibility and root cutting,” he said.
