VEREENIGING – Despite the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) launching a public inquiry into Gauteng’s water crisis, raw sewage appears to still continue flowing into local river systems at several sites along the Vaal and Klip rivers.

Last week, Vaalweekblad accompanied Ward 1 councillor Dalene Venter on an oversight inspection of several sewage pollution hotspots across the Emfuleni Local Municipality, where overflowing manholes, deteriorating sewer infrastructure and malfunctioning pump stations are continuing to discharge large volumes of untreated sewage into the Klip and Vaal rivers.

At a residential complex in Dee Drive, resident Marna Swanepoel showed Ster a manhole situated just outside the complex, near the Klip River where raw sewage regularly overflows before making its way into the river.

According to Swanepoel, this happens four to five times a week.

“The stench is terrible. We’ve resorted to throwing lime into the open manhole. It helps to reduce the smell,” she said.

Another resident said the odour becomes so unbearable during the summer months that she is unable to open the windows of her home.

At nearby pump stations, Ster found clear signs of neglect, vandalism and overflowing sewage infrastructure.

At one location, trenches had been dug that appeared to channel raw sewage directly into the Klip River.

At a boating estate along the Vaal River, estate manager Kas Lubbe showed Ster another discharge point where, he said, untreated sewage has been flowing continuously into the Vaal River. Lubbe said the ongoing pollution has become a persistent concern for residents living along the river.

The inspection comes amid mounting pressure on the Emfuleni Local Municipality over its long-running sewage crisis.

The SAHRC previously found that millions of litres of untreated sewage have been polluting the Vaal River system, violating residents’ constitutional rights.

Last year, the Commission instituted legal action against the municipality to account for the ongoing crisis, while AfriForum has also launched urgent court proceedings aimed at compelling the municipality and other role players to bring the pollution to an end.

Much of the pollution observed during the inspection falls within Ward 1 in Three Rivers – one of Emfuleni’s largest revenue-generating areas.

Yet residents say raw sewage has been flowing past their homes and ultimately into the Klip and Vaal rivers for years.

Venter said residents have repeatedly reported the sewage spills to the municipality, but claim the problems are either repaired only temporarily or not addressed at all.

“We are dealing with a complete failure of critical infrastructure. Residents continue paying rates and taxes, yet they are forced to live with overflowing sewage, unbearable odours and the environmental damage caused by untreated effluent entering our rivers,” she said.

She added that the continued pollution poses a serious threat not only to residents living near the affected areas, but also to downstream communities, agriculture, wildlife and the broader environment that depends on the Vaal River system.

Residents say they have repeatedly reported the sewage spills to the Emfuleni Local Municipality, which has not recently issued a public statement on the matter.