Hospice sewage woes continue
Centurion Hospice says the sewage leaks that have plagued its facility have continued, and it welcomes any assistance until a permanent solution is found.
A Centurion Hospice says the repeated sewage leaks affecting its property have continued as it awaits the completion of a bridge supposed to mitigate some of its issues.
The work on the bridge was originally set to be completed by April 29, however, the contractor encountered issues with some parts and the work was rescheduled for completion by Friday, May 3.
On Friday, April 26, the leaks worsened, with hospice staff saying that the spill had entered some parts of the building.
“We are desperate for a solution,” said spokesperson Hyla van den Berg.
The latest leak was reported on Tuesday morning, April 30.
The facility is located near a large sinkhole, which formed on Clifton Avenue in 2022.
Sewage lines and other utilities had to be diverted around the hole when it continued to expand.
But the temporary solution met some difficulty as the pipes frequently got blocked, while the pumps and power lines were stolen.
The facility has been flooded by sewage in the last two weeks, as effluent was expelled from a manhole on to the hospice grounds on eight occasions.
Hospice spokesperson Hyla van den Berg said the hospice needed to be proactive to avoid being overwhelmed by the leak.
“If we are not proactively managing it, it may take over,” she said.
The hospice has 16 beds for terminally ill patients and usually cares for them during their last 14 days of life.
It runs completely on donations from the public, proceeds of the restaurant on the premises and the catering services it provides.
The cost is very high. Just the cleaning products alone for 14 days was about R15 000,” she said.
“The sinkhole already compromises people coming here, this is just another problem to add to the list.”
The hospice welcomes donations of cleaning aids and chemicals, as the facility can only use certain cleaning aids to avoid contamination.
It is hoped the bridge being built to carry the pipes and other utilities across the sinkhole will address some of the problems.
Ward councillor David Farquharson said that keeping the sewage flow running was what was causing the backflow onto the hospice property.
He said that manual interventions were needed.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the sinkhole tops the list for repairs, but work could only begin once it has stopped expanding and the geotechnical investigation has been concluded.
Also read: Hospice sewage woes continue
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
