SEDIBENG. – Residents of Palm Springs, in Evaton, have resorted to parking their cars in other people’s yards and walking through difficult paths due to multiple sewer spillages in the area.

The sewer issue is said to have been been reported several times to Metsi-a-Lekoa, but the residents were told that the sewer pipes below are broken and new ones need to be installed.

Ward 43 Councillor from the Democratic Alliance (DA), Ayanda Ngubane, said that the sewer spillage flows like a river into residents’ homes.

Ngubane confirmed he has engaged the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) water entity (Metsi-a-Lekoa) regarding this and other sewer issues on the same road. “I was told that the pipes below need to be replaced completely to avoid further spillages,” he said.

Residents along Wattle Road have suffered from this sewer problem and demand solutions from Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM). Residents along Mahoney Road are also affected, with driving made difficult due to the poorly maintained gravel roads that have not been graded for over a decade. Recent rains have made it worse.

“As a Councillor, I have reached out to the Public Works Department and was informed that tractors are not available to grade Mahoney Road and many other gravel roads in Palm Springs. As the DA, we will be engaging further with the Department of Water and Sanitation and the public works department to fix the many issues that are affecting residents of Palm Springs,” Ngubane added.

The installation of new pipes needs a service provider or contractor, but residents are on a waiting list. The timeline for procurement and installation is uncertain.

“Once the pipes are available and a contractor is appointed, it will be fixed,” Ngubane said.

Metsi-a-Lekoa is aware of the problem.