Huge sewerage spill at the Paddadam

THOUSANDS and thousands of litres of raw sewerage has poured, and on Tuesday morning last week was still pouring into the Paddadam at the northern end of Park Street.

It emanates from a manhole in the corner of the yard of the last house in Park Street, adjacent to the park, flows in a steady stream through the fence where a huge pool of sewerage has accumulated.

A rivulet then flows into the Paddadam, from which it will join the Magot River, and then the Wit Umfolozi River then into Klipfontein Dam, one of the sources from which Vryheid draws its water.

In addition to fouling the atmosphere in the area, the sewerage has ruined any chance of anyone enjoying the facilities of the Padaddam.

The whole southern side of lawn appears to have been flooded, and to get to the swings etc would now mean that you would have to wade ankle deep in sewerage. The spillage was reported to the municipality of Friday, according to a member of the nearby Church who noticed the spill through the smell. He said nothing had been done and the sewerage was still flowing on Monday. And on Tuesday. Another resident phoned the Vryheid Herald and when the site was visited it was clear that this was a major spill demanding immediate attention. When the municipality was phoned on Tuesday, the woman answering the phone said that they were aware of the problem, and re-logged the complaint. She did not say when it would be attended to, but on Wednesday morning last week the actual flow had stopped, leaving a drying crust of sewerage “solids” all over the lawns.

And so, the pollution continues…