This journalist recently visited the affected house and was overwhelmed by a repugnant odour wafting through Pop Corn Valley, in which the house is located.
The stench apparently comes from a dysfunctional public sewer line that runs next to the 62-year-old Lorraine Tommy’s house.
According to Tommy, sewage often floods their yard and spills onto the road, as well as the nearby veld.
“Often we, including children, are forced to wade through a pool of sewage that is at least ankle-deep, just to get in and out of the house,” she said.
Tommy, who lives with her daughter and grandchildren, explained that the sewage started to intermittently back up into her home in 1990.
“It has to be an underlying problem, because it happens every now and then; it’s been very stressful and it’s humiliating to host visitors, because my place stinks,” she said.
“It’s so bad. Can you imagine how it feels to eat your meals under these conditions?
“You can’t open the windows or sit outside.
”My grandchildren can’t play outside the house – we keep doors and windows shut at all times, living as if we are in prison to avoid the smell and mosquitoes getting indoors.”
The unsanitary conditions have also led to fears that the whole family could contract communicable water-borne diseases.
“It’s so frustrating, because we now don’t know where to go for help; we have been reporting this to the municipality for a long time, but our grievances have fallen on deaf ears,” Tommy said.
She accused metro officials of downplaying the seriousness of the situation, but she is hoping that one senior municipal official, who cares about residents’ welfare, will eventually hear about her plight and come to the family’s rescue.
Ward councillor Charlie Crawford echoed Tommy’s sentiments, saying “they are living in disgusting conditions.”
“It shouldn’t have taken this long to fix the problem. I have, personally, reported this matter to the relevant department many times, but it’s still not sorted out,” he added.
Crawford lamented the municipality’s failure to permanently repair damaged sewers in his locality.
Crawford said the fault lies at the metro’s sewerage pumping station, that should be moving sewage from the township to the treatment plant.
“The area has been plagued by persistent drainage issues for more than two decades now, because of the dysfunctional municipal underground sewer system, which is of poor quality,” he said.
“Most of the sewer pipes are also blocked, which causes sewage to overflow onto properties.
“This is not only a human rights violation, but a health hazard as well.”
No comment had been received from the metro at the time of going to press -@FanieFLK
