Residents living near Cypress Road are facing a public health and environmental crisis as a local river has become overwhelmed with raw sewage.

This comes after messages were shared on community groups on WhatsApp on October 27, highlighting the frustration of families struggling with unbearable odours.

Roodepoort Northsider journalist Tshegofatso Thobedi visited the affected properties and was immediately confronted by the noxious stench emanating from the river. Resident Shannon Kendall, who lives next to the river, explained that this is not the first time they have experienced this, and when it rains, it becomes worse with flooding into their property. Kendall added that her family has to endure the smell of the raw sewage every day, especially at sunset.

“This is the third major sewage leak in our river in the past three years,” Kendall said. “It took six months respectively to repair the first two leaks, which came from an estate nearby in 2024. We had about two blissful weeks of no odour, and then another leak opened up. Currently, we do not know where the sewage is coming from, and we hope that the necessary entity can lead us to the main source.”

“The stench we are living with is now worse than ever. We are unable to spend time outside, especially with food, as you cannot eat with the terrible smell. We have increased headaches and sinus issues as we are breathing this in day and night. It is having a disastrous effect on the environment and wildlife in the area. We have seen a marked decline in the bird life and have pulled many breeding-size dead fish out of the river. One member of our family contracted E. coli and was in critical condition in the hospital. Living here has become unbearable!”

Kendall further adds that in their community WhatsApp group, they have worked together simultaneously to report this to various entities, such as Johannesburg Water, but were directed to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), and no action has been taken.

Angiolina Pipi, another affected resident who recently moved into her property, was unaware she was moving into an ongoing environmental hazard. Highlighting the impact this had on her family’s quality of life, she explained that if she had known about all the issues here, she would not have bought the property.

“We want to put up some chalet-type houses for people to come and stay over, but this is going to cause a lot of problems. I have still not recovered from my headache and nausea, so I really hope something will get done about this.”

While this raw sewage continues to not only contaminate the water and aquatic life but also remain a health risk to residents, the Northsider has sent questions for JPCZ for comment, and a follow-up article will be published as soon as a response is received.