Sewage spills a thing of the past
Blocked drain pipes that cause sewage to overflow in the streets, will hopefully soon be a thing of the past in the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality.
The municipality received a brand spanking new sewer jet last week and on Friday 28 July it was put to use under the watchful eyes of Mayor Sechele Sebolai, municipal officials, and councillors in Extension 10 in Phagameng and at Zebrapark.
Blocked drains have been a problem for several years. Die Pos repeatedly reported on sewage spilling into residents’ plots or the stench of sewage spills upsetting business owners. The blockages are, according to the municipality, caused by rubble, sand that washes down the pipes after rains, and foreign objects such as clothing, bricks, and household waste that get stuck in the system.
“In order to improve sewerage and stormwater infrastructure maintenance, the municipality decided that it was not cost-effective to repeatedly hire a combination unit. We decided to acquire our own unit,” said Sebolai.
With the municipality now being able to do preventative maintenance and cleaning of the sewer flow, spills will be less likely to occur and the reaction time much quicker, he said.
The sewer jet is a combination unit and is fitted with state-of-the-art hydraulically operated jetting and vacuum functions. It has a 12 500 liter tilting 304-grade stainless steel tank with a high-pressure pump with a capacity of 295 liters per minute at 135 bar and a hydraulically driven vacuum pump with a suction capability of 1 700 cubic meters per hour.
The unit was acquired at a cost of R5,5 million.
During the introduction of the sewer jet, a blocked drain in Extension 10 was unblocked within minutes.
“I call on all our communities to act responsibly. I urge you to stop throwing unwanted material in the drains. This will help us in ensuring that we maintain clean sewers and eliminate the hazard of an overflow which will be to the detriment of the environment,” Sebolai said.
