Snowdon Street resident builds wall to block sewage spill in Florida Hills
A Florida Hills homeowner has taken matters into her own hands by building a barrier after recurring sewer blockages and a nearby sinkhole left her property flooded with raw effluent.
A Snowdon Street resident in Florida Hills has been forced to build a barrier to block recurring sewage spills from entering her property.
Analia Norton said the sewage overflows almost every week, stopping for only a few days at a time before starting again. She says the spills have been persistent since a huge sinkhole developed opposite her home.
This sinkhole was reported earlier this year, caused initially by a collapsed sewer pipe and worsened by heavy rainfall.
“The sewage poses a serious health and safety risk to myself and other residents, as raw sewage can expose people to harmful bacteria, viruses, and possible water contamination,” said Norton.
“The drains at numbers 15 and 17 Snowdon Street are blocked, causing sewage to overflow and accumulate.”
Due to the severity of the issue, Norton said she had to build a small wall to prevent sewage from entering her property.
• Also read: JRA responds to Snowdon Street sinkhole
According to Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala, sewer overflows and blockages stem from factors like foreign material disposal, root intrusion or collapsed pipes.
Shabalala added that in this particular case, an obstruction appears to be lodged inside the pipeline.
The obstruction could be caused by roots, rocks or a damaged section of the pipe. She explained that Johannesburg Water teams had previously managed to clear the line using jetting, but the problem has become more difficult to address through normal rodding.
“Currently, normal rodding, including jetting nozzles, is getting stuck. Due to the depth of the pipeline, a traxcavator will have to be sourced,” Shabalala said.
She estimated that the issue could be resolved within the next two weeks.
Shabalala said excavating and replacing the affected pipeline section remains the only option to prevent further overflows.
The entity also did not confirm whether the sewer problems are linked to the sinkhole.
The Roodepoort Record sent questions to the Johannesburg Roads Agency on September 2 regarding when the sinkhole would be repaired, requesting a response by September 7.
The agency acknowledged the questions and stated on September 4 that the Infrastructure Development team had been engaged to ensure a response before the deadline.
However, by the time of publication, no comment had been received from the entity.
