Sewerage issues in Bela-Bela tackled promptly
"Most spillages are caused by the illegal disposal of foreign objects into the sewer system."
The illegal dumping of unwanted objects is the scapegoat for most of the blockages in the sewer network system of Bela-Bela.
Spokesperson for the Municipality, Peter Moloto, says the Municipality has a multi-year project plan to respond to the replacement, upgrading, and maintenance of aging sewer infrastructure and pump stations.
He responded to an article that Die Pos published last week about the sewage that infects the town and surrounding area. Jeedee Cloete, Vryheidsfront Plus councilor from Ward 1, then told and showed shocking drone footage of how raw sewage flows into the town from all angles. Cloete then said drastic intervention was needed.
Moloto says: “We have received numerous complaints over the last few months regarding sewerage spillage in several areas and can confirm that the Municipality always ensures that once the spillage or broken pipes are reported, the matter is attended to swiftly. The Municipality can confirm that our internal investigation into the causes of most of the spillages revealed that such spillages are caused by the illegal disposal of foreign objects into the sewer network system.”
The other common cause is the illegal connection of sewer systems to the Municipal network system.
Residents are therefore urged to be considerate of the items which are being disposed of in their toilets and to report any illegal connections as this is negatively affecting the Municipality’s plan to effectively manage and maintain the sewer system.
“Be that as it may, as the Councillor in question has already indicated, the relevant department under the guidance and leadership of the Municipal Manager has responded swiftly and ensured that the reported spillage has been attended to.”
According to Moloto some of the recent progressive initiatives that were taken by the Municipality to remedy the situation include the procurement of generators (including a mobile one) to ensure that the implications of the constant power outages are kept to a minimum with regard to the operation of the sewer system.
In addition, the Municipality is in the process of upgrading its fleet which will enhance the turnaround time for responding to reported incidents.
“As the Municipality we remain fully committed to fulfilling our constitutional mandate of providing services to our residents effectively and efficiently within our available resources,” Moloto concluded.
