Johannesburg Water fixes 2-week sewage leak in Cresta Ext 2
Johannesburg Water has cleared the blocked drains that caused a massive sewage leaks in Cresta Ext2 suburbs, but residents are asking how it happened, and why it took so long to fix.
Johannesburg Water (JW) has confirmed that they have cleared the blocked drain that was pouring out sewage on the streets of Cresta Ext 2.
Resident Anne Gray explained that the leak started on June 2 at the Villa Siesta flats drain on the corner of Ann Road and Botha Avenue. “I live at the other end of the road, the bottom of the hill. I logged my first ticket on June 4, and it was fixed on June 17. Around 10 tickets were logged by various residents, that I am aware of, in that time.”
Read more: Robindale residents continue to suffer from unattended sewage leak
The blockage moved down the hill slowly, over the course of a week, to a drain on Heide Road, and was spewing waste such as toilet paper, tampons, and condoms onto residents’ lawns and all over the street’s intersection. “Checkers 60/60 drivers refused to deliver on our driveway, as they would have to drive over it – handing food deliveries over the stream of sewerage. It got progressively smellier. I had to burn fragranced candles in my home office to mask the stench. The road has been damaged from the erosion of water trickling down for two weeks.”
Gray added that they’ve had this kind of issue about three times a year, but in the past it’s been fixed within 24 hours of reporting. “This slow response was highly unusual. I was just getting angrier and angrier every time I drove over the river into my driveway. Now, people have to deal with washing the road outside their houses – hosing down the street to get rid of the dried effluent that has formed a crust on the verge.”
Nombuso Shabalala, JW spokesperson, said that, according to their records, the blockage was attended to and cleared on June 8. However, it appears that the issue is recurring.
She further stated that the blockages are commonly caused by the disposal of inappropriate materials into the sewerage system, such as fats, oils, grease, rags, and foreign objects. “In some cases, structural issues, like root intrusion, collapsed pipes, or inadequate pipe gradients may also contribute to recurring blockages. However, the pipe in question has a remaining useful life (RUL) of 48 years, and, upon cursory inspection, appears to be in good condition. This suggests that the recurrence may be due to improper use of the sewerage system, rather than structural defects.”
When asked if the entity is facing multiple sewerage system issues in Randburg, as there have been more reports, Shabalala said, although the system is experiencing repeated misuse, current assessments indicate that the infrastructure still has substantial RUL and is structurally sound.
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