Septic tank confirmed as cause of stink at garden
Allegations of sewage being spotted and smells pervading the Lowveld Botanical Garden had been published on social media since late September, and Silulumanzi had stated these previous incidents were due to pools of stagnant water collecting in the garden.
MBOMBELA – Silulumanzi has confirmed that recent reports from residents regarding sewage in the Lowveld Botanical Garden is in fact true. An overflowing septic tank had indeed been spilling over into the garden.
Silulumanzi’s spokesperson, Richmond Jele, said stagnant water can sometimes smell the same as sewage, especially in the Lowveld heat. “Stagnant water forms when heavy rain leaves puddles of water in rock crevices that have no soakway or runaway path,” he said.
However, following a recent complaint by a resident who had visited the garden a few weeks ago, Jele said a team was deployed and it was discovered there had been sewage, and that is was due to an overflowing septic tank.
ALSO READ: OCR Nelspruit and CANSA join hands for the Ultimate Obstacle Race
“The garden manager was alerted to the problem and instructed to hire a truck to empty the tank. This could be the sewage smell the public was smelling,” said Jele. A birder and nature lover who had last visited the garden in early October, Leon Marais, had said he did not think the smell was just stagnant water as Silulumanzi had said at the time. Another resident, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, said he would not be visiting the gardens again anytime soon due to the smell.
However, with the source having now been identified, it is hoped the smell will no longer trouble the garden.
ALSO READ: Arrest made in hardware heist
