RESIDENTS in Pitcairn Road, Carrington Heights are calling for the municipality to investigate the cause of ongoing sewage leaks in the road which have plagued them for the past three years.
According to resident Leonard Girodo, the problem first arose after heavy rains in 2016. Girodo said raw sewage was seen running into the river system below the properties. “We could see raw sewage flowing above ground and extending to about five meters across the valley. The stench was so unbearable that residents couldn’t sit outside or open windows,” he said, adding that the problem had persisted even after residents reported that the sewage was running down from the properties bordering the D’Moss area below. “The municipality attempted to clear the path up to the D’Moss area and cleared a drain at one of the properties, but the problem reoccured a two months later.
“This was the start of it, and since then it happens around two to three times a year. The municipality needs to sort out the problem permanently. I believe roots from the trees in the valley have damaged the sewer pipes. Last month, after another blockage, a shirt and material were pulled out the pipes, which means there must be access somewhere,” he said, adding that he was told the Parks Department would clear the area, but nothing had come of this.
In May this year, according to Girodo, the problem reoccurred. He said the force of the sewage had lifted the cast iron lid off the inspection drain in his property and raw sewage had flowed like a waterfall for the second time in two weeks.
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“The stench is terrible and all this flows into the D’Moss river. Every time I report it it is escalated but the source of the problem is not fixed, only the symptoms. Yoliswa Khumalo from the municipality has tried to help and it was cleared on 3 Jun, but a week later on 10 June we had the same problem. She requested an order number for a camera to investigate on 5 June and is still waiting. After six days, the flow just increased,” he said.
Girodo’s neighbour, Karen Kay, echoed his concerns, saying that when the sewage began flowing at the bottom of her garden below her pool area, no one wanted to be outside. “When it is spewing, we can’t go outside or open our windows or doors. It is a nauseating smell,” she said.
Girodo said a rodding team and pressure cleaning team from eThekwini had finally arrived to attend to the problem, but after the blockage was removed, he was left waiting for day for lime bags to be delivered to disinfect the contaminated area in his property.
“My daughter has a swing in that section of the property, she loves to swing, but she hasn’t been able to use it since this started in 2016. A solution needs to be found to stop this from happening,” he said.
Responding to the complaints, PR ward councillor Thabani Mthethwa said he would visit the properties and speak to the residents, and would follow up with the municipality on what could be done to stop the leaks.
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