Sewage spill in Beaulieu spurs a mighty clean-up

A recent sewage spill near the Beaulieu Country Estate, caused by illegal dumping, spurred on a mighty clean-up after the smell caught the attention of local residents.

Illegally-dumped building rubble clogged a manhole at the corner of Hawthorne and Main roads and the sewage from the manhole was unable to flow away.

The waste overflowed into a nearby stormwater drain and possibly into the dam nearby, which could have a negative impact on vegetation and wildlife in the area.

Heloise van Beerschoten, who is part of the Beaulieu Country Estate board and who was closely involved with the clean-up said, “We’re not sure when exactly the spill started.

“But it was noticed by a resident on 4 November, particularly the smell which was absolutely awful.”

In response to the incident, the bird sanctuary within the estate was blocked off and the waste that was already flowing through the area was sucked up by trucks.

A temporary sandbank was constructed to stop a run-off in the case of rain, and waste was cleaned up by volunteers.

On 7 November, staff from the Kyalami Corner Shopping Centre removed the rubble from the drain to address the blockage.

The sewerage line was constructed in order to support the Kyalami Corner Shopping Centre.

According to the centre’s manager, Theresa Vorster, “It can be confirmed that sewage from a clogged manhole from which our team removed building rubble, dried cement and bricks overflowed into the stormwater drain and possibly into the dam.

“Shortly after discovering the sewer spill and unblocking it, we were notified that the Beaulieu Bird Sanctuary dam had been contaminated.”

Vorster added, “The joint teams [from Kyalami Corner, Beaulieu Estates and also from Joburg Water who were addressing the spill] then drained the sewage from the smaller dams and all the contaminated soil was skimmed. An eight-member team was on site to help clear any debris as well as assist in any and every way to restore the area.

“It is suspected that building material flowed into the manhole from construction activity further up on the R55.”

Van Beerschoten agreed, “It’s very difficult to track where the rubble came from, or even when it was put there, but it was a very severe incident.”

Chair of the Greater Kyalami Conservancy (Gekco) which opposed the building of the sewerage line back in 2015, Kristin Kallesen said, “The sewerage line crosses wetlands at a number of points, so this spill is very concerning.”

Kallesen continued, “This is one of the objections Gekco has had to the sewerage line, as the wetlands and wildlife [around it] are vulnerable.”

The spill has been stopped, but the dam water inside Beaulieu has not yet been tested to determine the full extent of the spill’s impact.