A big stink in Durnacol
"I've heard there are rags, plastic and tins in the sewage line. Who is going to clean this?"
Sid Price is up to his ears in sewage problems.
Thanks to blockages in the main line from Tagore Village, Durnacol, his garden is flooded by effluent about six times a year.
With no action or reply, he is well and truly fed up. “The sewage flows right by the bedroom windows; it’s an awful stench.”
It was March 23 this year when Mr Price contacted the Dannhauser Municipality via letter, on the day sewage again gushed across his property. Mr Price claimed the problem stemmed from Tagore Village. A sewage line runs from the area and adjacent to his property and is meant to convey waste to another line underneath Durnacol’s main street. Instead, blockages cause sewage to back up onto Mr Price’s yard.
“I’ve heard there are rags, plastic and tins in the sewage line. Who is going to clean this?”
Mr Price was equally concerned with the health implications of frequent sewage leaks, especially since effluent commonly flowed into a nearby stream.
A representative from the Amajuba District Municipality agreed to follow up on the matter and reverted back to the media.
This in turn fed into the Durnacol Dam.
“This happens probably six times a year and I can’t imagine the state of the dam.”
Asked what solutions he could suggest, Mr Price replied regular maintenance was a priority for the sewage lines.
However, the main issue was the blockages. “The municipality should issue the public with toilet paper so they don’t clog up the system with newspaper and rags. It’s frightening to see what people put into the sewage system.”
Mr Price eventually received a reply to his letter on April 5, stating the municipality’s lack of reply was due to Internet problems. No further response has been received to date. A representative from the Amajuba District Municipality agreed to follow up on the matter and reverted back to the media.
He said the matter had been referred to a relevant official.
“The Acting Director of Engineering at Amajuba District Municipality said he will send staff out to check and deal with the problem.”
