Bonaero Park sewerage issue remains unresolved after a year

Persistent failures of the Bonaero Park Pump Station continue to affect the quality of life for residents in the area.

It has been a year since the Kempton Express covered the sewerage saga faced by Bonaero Park resident Yolindie Leipoldt and her family.

Leipoldt’s family regularly endure raw sewage flowing through their property and very little had been done in the last 12 months to mitigate the situation.

Theirs is not an isolated incident. Countless residents of Bonaero Park had to deal with sewerage issues, many of them for as long as 30 years.

ALSO READ: Bonaero Park residents flooded with sewage once again

In April last year, the Kempton Express reported when Leipoldt bought her house, she had no inkling of the problems that awaited her.

Leipoldt moved into her property in December 2022 and a month later, the family had their first encounter with raw sewage flowing through the property.

At the time Leipoldt’s neighbours told her the area experienced the same issues for over 30 years.

She said residents in the area still hope that promises of the pump station moving would be fulfilled.

According to her, residents were told that R300m was set aside to resolve the issues.

Leipoldt said the pump station simply cannot keep up with the volume of sewage pumped daily.

ALSO READ: CoE responds to sewage concerns by a resident

In response to questions asked, in May last year, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni Zweli Dlamini said a pipeline planned from Bonaero Park to Pomona pump station was part of the phasing out of the Bonaero Park sewer pump station.

They hoped this would address overflows because of a lack of capacity and cater for future development in the Bonaero Park and Pomona areas.

“The designs have been completed and approved. The city is in the process of allocating a contractor from the sewer panel of contractors, which was recently awarded to start with the installation of the outfall sewerage pipeline.”

Dlamini said previously no funds were allocated to the pump station alone. Funds allocated were for overall sewerage infrastructure on the Bonaero Park, Pomona and Bredel sewerage lines.

“Work will be done over multi-years with R13m available for the 2022/23 financial year to address the pipeline.

“There is a provision made in the 2023/24 budget to continue with the project, but confirmation of the allocated amount is subject to the final budget approval,” said Dlamini.

Now, a year later, Leipoldt finds herself in the same position.

“Sewage still flows through my property the same as it has for over a year.”

Earlier this month, a council representative visited Leipoldt to witness firsthand how bad her situation was.

“The situation was seriously bad, and he said he was going to help us fight the issue. I cannot deal with this anymore,” she said.

ALSO READ: Sewerage pipe bursts a health hazard for Kempton Park residents

Leipoldt said her son’s asthma was worsening, and she blamed the condition she has to live in.

She added she has spoken to the ward councillor about this situation, who requested her to send photographs every time the sewage flows through her property.

Leipoldt said selling the house and moving is out of the question.

“I paid a lot of money for this house and want this problem resolved.

“I do not want to move because not everyone has the money to just up and move.

“If I sell this house now, I would not get what I paid for it because of the sewerage situation.

“I cannot keep my mouth shut to the next person who might try to buy the house either,” she said.

“If I keep quiet and pretend it is okay; I will sell them lies, and I am not a dishonest person.

ALSO READ: Sewerage woes cause health risks to Birch Acres residents

“I am not going to ruin someone else’s life just because mine was ruined. It doesn’t work like that in life,” she said.

Leipoldt said she reached out to the green scorpions and everyone she could think of to help.

“I would like the municipality to decommission the pump station and move it elsewhere.

“It is not just a small part of the area’s sewage running through these drains to this pump station.

“The pump station processes sewage from the airport and many houses. It all ends up in my backyard.

Leipoldt said the situation was worse during load-shedding.

She added she was not the only resident affected.

While sewage does not flow into her neighbour’s properties, they have to contend with the smell.

“This issue has ruined our lives. My husband and I decided to buy this place, so we feel like it is our fault that our children are now suffering. Our pets are suffering as well.”