Sewage nightmare ends for Centurion residents
The broken pump, which was causing the leak, has been repaired and reinstalled.
A sewage leak at the Rietvlei Heights Country Estate in Centurion has finally been contained, according to a recent update from the Tshwane metro.
For months, residents had been dealing with the unbearable stench and worrying about environmental health due to the sewage from the broken pump flowing into the nearby river.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that the broken pump has been repaired.
“The sewage overflow into the Sesmylspruit River is now under control. However, the second pump is not responding, and arrangements are being made to repair it.”
He said repairs to the temporary spare pump are expected to be completed before the end of October.
Mashigo said to prevent future vandalism at the pump station, the estate manager installed a fence around the station and CCTV cameras for enhanced protection.
“The sustainability of our infrastructure network cannot be achieved by the solo efforts of the city.
The solution lies with working closely with all stakeholders, including the estate management and residents themselves, and this is the direction the city is taking.”
He said the ward councillor had repeatedly reminded locals to desist from throwing foreign objects into the sewer system as part of an ongoing awareness campaign.
In May residents noticed sewage from the pump flowing into the river and that the pumphouse was flooded with sewage and the door damaged.
The sewage flowed past several homes into the Sesmylspruit River.
Despite reporting the problem, residents said they received little feedback from the metro at the time.
A resident, Sarike le Roux, who lives adjacent to the leak, said the smell was unbearable, and she worried about her family’s health.
She said it was difficult to report the problem because it was not technically on the property.
At the time, the estate manager, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Rekord that they had to position security guards at the pumphouse to protect it as well as erect a fence to stop people from entering the area.
They said previously pipes, fittings, motors and electrical cables had been stolen from the station.
A Rietvlei Heights estate manager said the two pumps seized up because the straining system at the station was blocked.
They said that a metro plumber had come out twice and had been unable to fix the problem.
The manager said the plumber told them that though the system had been unblocked the motor had backed up.
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