Second sewage leakage fixed in Promosa

J.B. Marks Local Municipality urges the public not to dispose of foreign objects in the sewerage system. This follows sewage leaks in Adolf Willemse Road and Aquarius Street on two separate occasions. Residents in Aquarius Street said the sewage leaks in both roads were fixed on Monday (2 November) evening. However, the wastewater started flowing on the opposite side of Aquarius Street the next day.

Johanna Legae is a pensioner whose yard has always been affected by the leaks. Since Tuesday, she and other residents unsuccessfully phoned the municipal call centre until Friday, 6 November.

The 66-year-old suffers from chronic illnesses and is afraid that her health will be negatively affected. She has found it difficult to eat or sleep because of the unbearable stench. “It doesn’t sit well with me as it is unhealthy. It’s heartbreaking,” she said. For a while, Legae was compelled to use a bucket for a toilet as her drains were blocked.

She pleads with the respective officials to provide quality services and maintain the sewerage to put an end to the ongoing leakage.

Linda Mogoshane says it breaks her spirit to see the sewage flowing into their yards. “It pains me to see the condition of our lifestyle because we can’t do anything about it. “Are we animals or people? Is this what we deserve?” she said.

Selina Motsami is also an affected resident. She said she almost cried when she got home on Friday to find the problem had not yet been fixed. “I sat on my sofa and just didn’t know what to do,” she said. Sewage leaked from behind her home to the front, where it flooded the area in front of her tenant’s door.

The residents are most concerned about their and their families’ health as the human waste runs through their yards. They also spoke of their frustrations with service delivery in general and the municipality’s response to their problems.

William Maphosa, the municipal spokesperson, explained that the municipal call centre had been overwhelmed with calls since the downpours started and affected the infrastructure. “The response to the distress calls is slowly returning to normalcy as some pressure on the infrastructure has been addressed,” he said. He confirmed that the sewer line in question is continually blocked. “Our teams have found that the main cause of the problem is the foreign material they regularly remove from the system.”

They appeal to residents to desist from disposing of foreign objects, other than toilet paper or tissues, in the drainage system. Furthermore, they urge all responsible citizens to educate people about the importance of looking after the infrastructure.

The community also pleads with fellow residents not to throw inappropriate objects or material down the drain.