Raw sewage leaves a stink as resident fears for the health of his family
’The baby is due in a few weeks time and the sewage in my garden is a disease waiting to happen.’
Over the past seven months, Zayne Kerr has become increasingly concerned about the well-being and health of his family.
Since August last year, Kerr’s Highway Gardens’ property in Edenvale has been flooded on a monthly basis by sewage.
Sewage floods Kerr’s garden when a municipal sewerage manhole on his property overflows.
“My wife is pregnant. With all the sewage in our garden I am concerned for her health and the well-being of our unborn child,” said Kerr.
“The baby is due in a few weeks time. The sewage in my garden is a disease waiting to happen.”
Also read: Report overflowing sewage as soon as possible
Kerr said because his wife’s hair salon is near the manhole, she is in close proximity to sewage whenever it floods the garden.
According to the Kerr, the sewage from a number of households flows through a pipe under his garden.
When the pipe is blocked the sewage overflows into his garden.
Also read: Sewage pollutes Gilloolly’s Dam
When the NEWS visited Kerr’s property on March 26 a layer of dried sewage covered a portion of his garden.
In some places, pools of sewage had formed on the ground.
“The smell is really nauseating,” said Kerr.
The sewage covering Kerr’s garden was the result of an overflow on March 22.
“At one stage during the recent overflow the lid was pushed open by 5cm,” said Kerr.
He said the sewage in his garden has affected his family.
Also read: Sewage taking over our waterways
Any laundry hung out to dry while there is sewage in the garden develops a bad smell.
“We try to keep our doors and windows closed as much as possible to stop the smell from going into our home,” said Kerr.
In order to stop the overflowing sewage and to alleviate the pressure in the pipes, a section of the sewerage pipe was broken.
Kerr said the pipe was broken by workers from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
The pipe was broken outside Kerr’s property near the stormwater servitude along Beverley Avenue.
“Although the sewage has stopped flooding my garden, it’s now flowing straight into the water system,” said Kerr.
Also read: Sewage leaves a bad smell in the air for First Avenue residents in Edenvale
“The sewage will now flow through Horwood’s Farm, through Eastleigh and into the Jukskei River.”
The municipality started cleaning the sewage in Kerr’s garden on March 26.
A request for comment was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni on March 26.
Comment was requested for March 27 by 3pm.
At the time of going to print no comment had been received.
