RESIDENTS of Fairway in Durban North have expressed their frustration over sewage flowing into a stormwater drain that runs past their properties.

They say inadequate stormwater drain maintenance and a lack of tracing of the sewage overflow or leak has made the matter an environmental and health hazard.

Last week Northglen News met with Frans Alexander and Eugene Grobler who said the foul odour is so choking that they cannot open their windows or doors.

Also read: Court battle continues over uMhlanga construction site

“Since we moved into our property in 2018 there have been sewage issues on and off, mostly with the smell. However, this is the first time where we’ve experienced something like this for so long that not even the bit of rain we had flushed out the wastewater. The problem seems to be coming from the opposite side of the M4 Ruth First Highway and the wastewater is flowing into a stormwater drain that runs under the M4 and ultimately past our properties and into the mangroves,” Alexander explained.

“This is affecting our ecosystem because we can see the faeces floating and toilet paper in the water and you have to wonder what that is doing to the mangrove ecosystem along the beach side. When the eThekwini Municipality were initially sent out to where the stormwater drain was they found all types of debis. However, the stormwater drain maintenance is something that also needs to be addressed because currently there are mounds of sand, massive branches clogging the drain exacerbating the problem, because wastewater in some places has stagnated.”

Also read: DA retain Wards 35 and 36

Ward 36 candidate elect Sam Reddy said he had also raised the matter with the city’s Water and Sanitation Unit.

“This leak or overflow is coming from somewhere on the opposite side of the freeway. Teams are still trying to identify and trace where the overflow is coming from. In years gone by the sewerage pumpstations on Fairway have been a problem but this is something else. What the City has found and what should not be flushed down the toilet are rags, dish towels, wet wipes and other fabrics, which is causing problems down the line. Right now we are faced with this wastewater ending up in the ocean which is not good for the environment,” he said.

For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook ,X or  Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here