Residents are fed up with the stink

Residents of Boshoff Street, Rynfield, are fed up with dealing with constant sewage leaks in their street, which subsequently runs off into the adjacent Bullfrog Pan.

Shaun Steyn who has been living in the area for the past 22 years says residents have not seen continuous leaks such as this since the Ekurhuleni Metro approved plans to upgrade the sewage line in 2019 to accommodate a large housing development within the area.

“Since the line was upgraded, we have been seeing endless sewage leaks,” he said.

“It was reported to the metro on many occasions and it was remedied by raising the manhole covers, using up to four cement rings. This clearly did not work as the spills continue for days on end.”

According to Steyn, the line once again sprung several leaks since October last year and has gradually gotten worse due to the high level of rain.

“It seems like we are not getting the full story of what is really going on. The pumps at the pan do not seem to be working,” he said.

“If it was actually functioning, we surely would not be seeing these continuous spills. It is not just affecting the residents but the natural balance within the pan too.”

In light of the recent complaints received, the MMC for Environment and Waste Management Services, André du Plessis, conducted a visit to the pan.

“The collapsed and failing infrastructure we have inherited is a cause for serious concern. As the multi-party coalition, we are committed to addressing these issues,” he said.

“I have raised the issue with MMC for Water, Energy and Sanitation Senzi Sibeko and will ensure a clean-up operation is undertaken at the pan as we need to protect our wetlands and our environment.”

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