The stench of raw sewage hangs heavy in the air at Fourth Road and Maud Street, Florida Lake.

Upon closer inspection, one realises the sewage emanates from the stormwater channel behind the Dardanelles Moth Shellhole that drains into the lake.

A visit to the site with Florida South Residents Association chairperson Rodney Churchyard reveals such an influx of sewage that a thick crust floats on top of the water, contributing to the fast-spreading hyacinth problem at this end of the lake.

“I’ve been trying to have this situation attended to since February,” says Churchyard, “every entity that I approach passes the blame on the next one.

“I’ve tried to get the different entities together for a meeting so we can determine how to move forward, but with no luck.”

Churchyard adds that it cannot be that this situation is not known to the entities.

“Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) staff clean up all around here on at least a monthly basis,” he says.

“At the very least, they should have reported this to the relevant entity to attend to.

“Stormwater channels are the domain of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), while sewage falls under Johannesburg Water.

“The Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (Crum) team, under which our urban inspector falls, is supposed to carry out regular inspections within the ward and report their findings to the relevant entity.

“This also does not seem to be happening.”

Churchyard adds that the JRA promised him three years ago that they would annually remove built-up silt from this stormwater outlet, something that has not happened.

“We’re just not getting buy-in from the entities in sorting out these recurring problems,” Churchyard says, while pointing to the signs of illegal dumping all around.

The Roodepoort Record has posed questions to JRA, JCPZ, and Crum, and will detail their answers in a follow-up article.

Meanwhile, residents will have to live with the eye-watering stench a little longer, it seems.