Thousands of unapproved structures encroach on municipal sewerage servitude lines
“The most prevalent encroachments that have been identified are by informal settlements, backrooms and perimeter walls.”
The Ekurhuleni metro has identified about 10 000 households whose owners have built unapproved structures that are encroaching on municipal sewerage and water servitude lines.
Spokesperson Themba Gadebe said this encroachment on the water infrastructure servitude lines has resulted in technicians being unable to resolve many sewer blockages and this has disrupted maintenance schedules due to a lack of access to the encroached areas.
“Servitude encroachment is when a building extends beyond the building line within stands, and in most cases extending onto neighbouring public land or the building line of a road,” he said.
The MMC for water, sanitation and energy Tiisetso Nketle said that many residents build without council-approved building plans, which impedes the water network and poses a risk of possible injury or loss of life when the pipes burst.
“We caution the community against illegally connecting to the water network to access drinking water as this is an illegal act and the risk of the water pipe bursting poses a danger to the encroacher,” Nketle said.
“Those wishing to renovate their homes by extending or building outside rooms are strongly encouraged to get their building plans approved by the metro.
“This is to avoid the regrettable situation of being ordered to demolish the structures that obstruct municipal infrastructure.”
Residents who suspect anyone of violating by-laws and building on servitudes can report this to the metro’s call centre on 0860 054 3000 or via twitter @COE_CALL_CENTRE.
