Another Boksburg community is forced to endure the overwhelming stench of raw sewage spilling from a damaged sewer line located upstream for weeks now.
Damaged infrastructure has seen gallons of litres of raw sewage spilling into New Married Quarters in Comet, flooding the streets outside residents’ homes.
Resident Sibongile Ndlovu, who has been living in the community for decades, told this publication on March 16 it’s been two weeks since raw sewage started flowing into some of the streets. It’s believed there is a drain that burst upstream, sending the sewage down the streets from the nearby flats and industrial sites.
“We have called the municipality offices, appealing for help, but they didn’t come. “The situation forces us to always remain indoors to avoid the smell. Our biggest concerns are the risks the dirty water plays in the health of children who have to walk through the waste to travel to school and back home. It’s just horrible,” said Ndlovu.
Other residents pointed out they used sand to prevent the water from entering their street, but that intervention caused a row between residents. Those located in the low-lying area of the area complained the water from the main road is heading onto their streets and flowing into their yards. Residents told the Advertiser a sewage spill is a yearly occurrence in their area.
“We have a big problem with the sewer system here, where leaks often go unaddressed for long periods. “Recently, we had a problem of a manhole that was spouting sewer water from the system onto the streets and people’s homes. It lasted for months,” said one of the community leaders, who asked not to be named.
The leader said there has been some hope for change more recently when the metro bought the land from the mine and subsequently appointed a contractor to instal a new sewer system.
“We were all under the impression they were replacing the ageing underground pipes and open drainage ditches. But it turned out we were wrong. The project was completed a while ago and it appears it was not meant for us. “When we enquire, they just pass the buck from one politician to another.”
The metro had not responded to our request for comment at the time of going to press.
Widespread problem The Advertiser recently reported on one of the latest spills of untreated sewage into homes on Martin du Preez Street in Reiger Park, where residents have been forced to live in the overflowing sewage for more than a month now. While waiting for a long-term solution, the metro is in the meantime using tankers to manage the situation.
The Advertiser has been inundated with reports of sewage spills of late. Among the identified hot spots are the stretch of Commissioner Street near the Boksburg Police Station, Ramaphosa and the railway line and Solomon Road in Witfield, where homeowners pointed out while the problem is often fixed, it keeps recurring.
Poor maintenance The communities also accused the municipality of delayed response to the infrastructure issues. Some residents, including ward councillors in the affected constituencies, have for a long time been calling on the metro to replace the whole sewer systems in their respective areas.
They alleged the deterioration of the infrastructure is due to the government’s failure to invest sufficiently in repairs and maintenance of the system, despite being aware of the problems for years.
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Also Read: Community besieged by sewage spill
