ALRODE – Armstrong Truck Inn in Alrode South has a large puddle of sewage in its parking area. The puddle extends along the back wall of the parking lot.
It has been there for over a week, but it is not a new problem.
Herman Plaatjies, Armstrong Truck Inn owner, told the RECORD that the business has had sewage draining into the lot for the last 15 years.
The sewage is just a small part of the problem for Herman and his team.
When summer begins and the seasonal rains fall, water fills the lot and floods the workshop floor.
In 2014, Armstrong Truck Inn sustained an estimated R30 000 worth of water damage due to flooding.
The reason for the flooding is simple. There is a stormwater drainage system next to the Armstrong Truck Inn.
It passes under their parking lot and should transport water or waste away, but the drainage system is blocked with reeds, mud and effluent.
Herman has reported the problem, more than once, to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, but nothing has been done.
Herman has indicated his willingness to clear the drain, but it requires equipment that he does not have. He is prepared to hire someone as long as he is reimbursed by EMM.
After trying to follow the correct procedure for so long; Herman is frustrated, “it’s a lose-lose situation,” he said.
EMM had not provided comment at the time of going to print.
