A sewage overflow near Emmarentia Dam has raised environmental and water-safety concerns among canoeists and park users, with paddlers staying off the water as Johannesburg Water (JW) works to contain the spill.

Residents began raising concerns on September 7, after sewage was seen flowing from the direction of the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, through parts of Louw Geldenhuys Drive and the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club area, towards the dam. For members of the canoe club, the incident has meant putting regular training and recreational paddling on hold while they wait for clarity on the condition of the water.

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Henning Wentzel, of Dabulamanzi Canoe Club, said several paddlers had visited the area after the spill was noticed, but members were reluctant to enter the water while sewage was still flowing into the dam. “We do not want to take a chance. We do not want to get ill from what is flowing into the dam,” he said.

The spill also affected people using the surrounding park. Wentzel, and fellow club member Delport van Schalkwyk, said they had warned pedestrians and dog owners to avoid the affected area, as sewage flowed through the park. Van Schalkwyk questioned why the problem had not been identified earlier, particularly given the number of people using the park.

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JW teams subsequently attended the site after the matter was logged, tracing the sewer line to identify the source of the blockage. JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed that the utility was aware of the sewage leak. Shabalala said the matter was logged on September 9 with a work order created and teams dispatched to attend to the problem.

According to JW sewer team member King Chanza, the obstruction was caused largely by tree roots that had grown into the sewer system, restricting the flow and closing the channel.

The team opened the affected manhole, allowed the sewage level to subside and manually removed the roots blocking the channel. Chanza said the team will now close the manhole and disinfect the affected area, adding that JW will also assess measures to minimise the impact of the spill on the dam. Chanza said root intrusion was a common cause of sewer blockages, while increased demand on the sewer network could also contribute to overflows when a blockage occurred. “The population is increasing and the flow of water is too much. When there is a blockage from roots, the spillage can become like a dam,” he said.
Chanza said the fact that the overflow had continued for several days meant there could already have been an impact on the dam’s ecosystem, although efforts will be made to limit further damage.

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