Tshwane metro plans sewer repairs as Centurion residents battle 18-year pollution crisis
Thatchfield Estate residents are forced to keep windows closed as persistent sewage odours and river contamination affect 50 homes.
Centurion residents face ongoing sewage odours and river contamination, prompting calls from local leadership for urgent municipal intervention before heavy rains exacerbate the problem.
Ward 64 councillor Alta de Kock said sewage was entering the Riet River while litter had accumulated along its banks, raising concerns for residents. She called on the City of Tshwane to investigate and repair the sewage source, remove litter and debris, install litter traps and establish a maintenance programme. She also called for public education to reduce littering near waterways.
According to De Kock, residents of Thatchfield Estate had raised concerns about the river’s condition and smell for years.
18-year pollution crisis impacts homes
Thatchfield Estate manager Mossie Mostert said the pollution problem was not new and had been ongoing for about 18 years. He said the estate and residents had approached authorities and tried to keep it clean through regular clean-ups.
However, Mostert said the pollution had reached a point where people could no longer safely enter the river. The sewage smell affects about 50 homes near the river, forcing residents to keep their windows closed and use air conditioning to manage the odour.
Mostert said municipal inspectors occasionally tested the water, adding that contamination and sewage odours affected wildlife. He noted that while the odour sometimes improved after rainfall, this did not address the underlying pollution. Mostert also raised concerns about property values, saying prospective buyers could be discouraged by persistent sewage odours and the river’s condition.
Image: Supplied.
Metro outlines infrastructure plans
The metro said it was addressing the concerns through inspections, repairs and planned infrastructure improvements.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo told Rekord that preliminary investigations found failures and overflows in the wastewater collection network may be contributing to pollution, although other sources were also being considered.
Teams identify and repair faults and clear blockages as they arise. One intervention was carried out near the R55 and Riet River, where teams opened a manhole to access and clear the obstruction before rebuilding the manhole chamber.
Mashigo said planning and design had been completed for three infrastructure projects. They are for repairing a collapsed 800mm outfall sewer pipe in Rietspruit, constructing a new sewer pipe river crossing at Imbongolo Street in Olievenhoutbosch, and reconstructing a collapsed sewer line at Kiaat and Assegaai streets. He added that implementation was awaiting Environmental Impact Assessment approvals and contractor appointments.
The metro conducts monthly inspections and water-quality monitoring, while relevant departments conduct monitoring and maintenance. The city continues to monitor the river and wastewater collection network and carries out maintenance to reduce blockages, overflows and pollution. Mashigo added that response teams attend to reported faults to limit environmental impacts and reduce the risk of pollutants being carried downstream during heavy rainfall.
The metro did not respond to queries regarding whether water quality test results show high E.coli or bacterial levels by the time of publication.
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