Nico Thwala, a resident of 8th Avenue where there is an ongoing issue of a blocked sewer, has appealed to the City of Johannesburg to educate residents about flushing disposable nappies and other items that tend to block the system, down the toilet.
Thwala spoke to Alex News during repair work that was being undertaken by workers of Joburg Water to fix the sewerage drain.
Some of the items that were removed from the blocked drain included disposable nappies, old underwear, children’s old T-shirts, sanitary pads, pot scrapers and dish cloths.
“When we talk to other residents about flushing down their children’s nappies and other items that can cause blockages, they tend to get edgy and tell you off,” he said.
“Under those circumstances, we have no choice but to shut up and keep the peace… but when the drain is blocked, like it has been for the past two weeks, we all suffer.”
The Joburg Water workers also appealed to the community to be courteous to them. One of the workers, who did not want to disclose his name as he is not the official spokesperson for Joburg Water, said people tended to abuse them when they were late in responding to a call-out or when they needed someone to move their car which was blocking access to a site.
Read: Water Wednesday: Vaal dam is 100% full while Western Cape struggles
What can be done to educate people about flushing items that block the sewerage system? Like the Alex News Facebook page to post your comments or WhatsApp us on 079 439 5345.