A stink in the air
"It is a real stinky problem, between 6pm and 9pm the smell becomes terrible,"
In Highway Gardens the smell of sewage has become unbearable for resident Mrs Angi Collins and many others in the area.
On August 31 Mrs Collins handed a petition to Ward 92 Councillor Tiziana Burtone to try raise more awareness and get something done about the smell of sewage that has impacted Mrs Collins’ daily life.
The petition had over 280 signatures from residents in the area.
Mrs Collins said it is about the community coming together and fighting a common problem
Mrs Collins, who has been a resident in Highway Gardens for the past 10 years, says that she has tried going through the process of reporting the issue to the municipality but has received limited feedback.
Clr Burtone, who has been in communication with the Department of Water and Sanitation, believes the current infrastructure is not able to cope with the amount of sewage and as a result may have broken.
Clr Burtone told the News the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality stated their infrastructure was fine.
“It is a real stinky problem, between 6pm and 9pm the smell becomes terrible, you can,t step outside of your house, we cant sit outside or relax outside,” said Mrs Collins.
Mrs Collins showed concern for people who visit the nearby park on Shelton Lane, near Highway Gardens.
Clr Burtone said the areas affected by the smell of sewage are Klopperpark, Hermillia and Highway Gardens.
Mrs Collins and Clr Burtone both expressed concerns for the damage done to the environment and the spread of waterborne diseases that could be caused by the sewage flowing into the water network.
A request for comment was sent to the EMM on September 6 asking the municipality to provide comment by September 8 at 2pm.
At the time this article was published no comment had been received.
