KINROSS – The continuous overflow of sewage on Main Street has severely degraded the road infrastructure, reducing it to gravel and forcing motorists to navigate sewage-filled potholes.

Besides having to navigate through the sewage-filled potholes, some motorists would rather not take that chance and detour via 3rd Street, Dorfan Street, or the R29 main road to access the businesses on Main Street.

A concerned businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the sewage spill has been a concern for some years.

“It is sewage coming from a drain, not water,” said the businessman. We can not use the road. We have to use other roads to get to the shops.”

He stated that the spill on Main Street is bad for business and is contributing to the deteriorating condition of the roads.

For people, walking along the road has become a health hazard due to the sewage spill and foul smell lingering in the air.

DA Ward 17 Clr Jaco Tesner said the sewage spill on this stretch of road has been reported to Govan Mbeki’s Department of Water and Sanitation.

“This is a health and safety concern for our community using the road. Our roads are already in a dilapidated state, and such sewage spills or water leaks contribute massively to the deteriorating road infrastructure,” said Tesner.

He encouraged residents to report any sewage spills or water leaks to GMM’s call centre immediately and to ensure they get a reference number.

Alternatively, residents can report such matters to their local ward councillors. GMM’s spokesperson, Donald Green, said the municipality acknowledges the ongoing sewage and maintenance challenges in Kinross.

He highlighted that while teams are dispatched to known hotspots, the municipality relies on residents to log every incident via the official call centre to ensure they are added to the daily technical schedule and tracked with a reference number.

“Our municipal teams have conducted unblocking operations using high-pressure jetting machines and launched maintenance drives to clear stormwater drainage systems in Kinross to prevent further overflow,” said Green.

“However, recurring blockages often stem from deeper structural pipe failures.”

He said that there is a long-term plan to fix this site.

“The 2022–2027 IDP include plans for the refurbishment and upgrading of the Kinross wastewater treatment plant and the sewer reticulation network.

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“We have just concluded our budget consultations with the community of Kinross, and this information was shared with those who attended.”

As for the structural damage caused to the road by these leaks, Green said that the municipality initiated a roads and stormwater restoration programme in region two, which includes Kinross.

“The Civil Engineering Department, through the roads and stormwater section, has identified priority areas for urgent intervention, such as pothole patching and resurfacing, specifically where sewage leaks have compromised the road’s integrity,” said Green.

GMM’s primary challenges regarding these frequent spills are based on several critical factors:

• Systems are stretched beyond capacity by rapid population growth.
• Flushing of foreign objects (rubble, household waste) into manholes.
• Theft of manhole covers and damage to pump station components.
• Limited resources for the large-scale replacement of ageing.

Residents must report all faults to the GMM call centre to receive a reference number for follow-up:
Report sewage spillages to the call centre at 0800 6000 01/ 02/04 or send a message on WhatsApp to 083 790 0659 or send an email to callcentre@govanmbeki.gov.za

If unresolved after seven days, residents may contact the region two manager, Solly Gumede, at solly.g@govanmbeki.gov.za

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