A Casseldale resident has expressed frustration after repeatedly reporting a sewage blockage that continues to affect his Fryer Road home.

Speaking to the Springs Advertiser, Marc Oberholzer said he first reported the problem to the City of Ekurhuleni on August 20 and has since had municipal teams attend to the problem several times.

He estimates municipal teams have attended to the problem at least seven times, and he has also called a private plumber for assistance. Despite these efforts, he said the blockage keeps returning.

“They push plumbing rods through and get it flowing, but it never lasts more than four or five days. Then they have to come back because the blockage isn’t on my side by the house. It is somewhere in the system,” said Oberholzer.

According to Oberholzer, on one visit, about 14m of plumbing rods were pushed through the drain to clear the blockage. Although this got the sewage flowing again, the relief was short-lived, lasting less than five days.

He explained that the problem has also affected a neighbouring property and believes it could be linked to a larger issue with the area’s sewer system.

During the latest incident at his home, Oberholzer shared that the municipal team visited the property after another report was made. They opened the maintenance holes, inspected the problem, and confirmed a blockage.

“They said they would come back, but I am still waiting for them,” he said.

He reported the problem again after the blockage remained unresolved. Beyond the repeated calls and visits, a blockage up the road from his home could be the reason his sewer is blocked.

Oberholzer said living with the smell from that blocked sewer has become one of the most difficult parts of the situation.

He said that at certain times of day, particularly when the air is still or the wind changes direction, the sewage smell reaches his home.

“It smells bad. Sometimes during the day it is not too bad because the air is moving, but early in the morning or evening, when the air is still, the smell comes towards the house,” he said.

“I came back home, opened the house and thought, ‘Oh my goodness, that stinks.’ The smell had been in the air when I left, and when I closed the house, it stayed inside.

“You think something is smelling in the house, but it is actually coming from outside,” said Oberholzer.

He believes the city needs to investigate the wider sewer infrastructure in the area instead of repeatedly clearing the blockage at individual properties.

He also raised concerns about a nearby pump station, which he believes could be contributing to the recurring problem.

“They need to fix that pump house if that is the root of the problem. If it has been repaired, then we should not still be sitting with sewage problems here in Fryer Road,” he said.

Oberholzer indicated that he wants the city to identify the source of the recurring blockage and provide a permanent solution rather than repeatedly clearing the same drains.

An enquiry was sent to the city about the sewer issue at Oberholzer’s home and what residents should do when teams are sent out but do not resolve the situation, or when the matter recurs.

No response was received at the time of publication.