The ward 20 councillor, Clr Jill Humphreys, has warned residents to be careful of what they flush down their toilets.
This comes after a recent sewage spill along Van der Linde Street caused unrest among residents and motorists in the area.
Clr Humpreys said when the department arrived to unblock the line they found that people had flushed towels and nappies into the system.
“The reasons for blocked sewerage lines are numerous and often avoidable, including ageing and collapsing pipes and residents discarding items that should not be flushed into the system. This includes items such as towels, baby nappies and various items of clothing,” she said.
Clr Humphreys added that while it is the responsibility of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) to ensure the sewerage system can cope with the number of properties in the area, it is vital that residents play their part and avoid overloading the system with these kinds of items.
She also urged the EMM to urgently prioritise the upgrading of infrastructure to avoid a total collapse of the system to avoid facing problems similar to those currently affecting Eskom.
“Sewage spills in particular pose a serious danger to the health of residents when the cause is not swiftly repaired and the spills are not properly cleaned up. This makes it vital for our residents to take care of what they flush down their drains. Likewise, the EMM must ensure the system is well maintained,” said Clr Humphreys.
One resident said people need to learn to take care of the environment.
“Start adopting a green lifestyle by recycling and being aware of what can and cannot be flushed down the toilets,” said the resident.
