Rivonia resident David Light recently expressed disappointment about the lack of help from City of Johannesburg agencies after a sewerage pipe allegedly burst at his property, with fecal matter flowing into the Braamfontein Spruit.
Light said the issue has been going on since April and that he and another resident have logged the issue to Johannesburg Water and Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) with no success.
The resident added that the stench that hangs over his home is unbearable.
Light added that after the pipe was inspected he was allegedly told that the burst pipe needed to be fixed by the agency, as it is actually a storm water drain. This confusion as to who should fix the pipe has caused frustration among residents.
Spokesperson for the agency, Bertha Peters-Scheepers said, “JRA is responsible for all roads and storm water-related infrastructure. Therefore JRA is not mandated to deal with sewage.
“However, an inspector from the regional depot will conduct a site inspection to confirm the issue as well as the responsible entity, to ensure the matter can be resolved in the interest of the community.”
Ward 106 councillor Stephen Moore said that due to the high level of densification in the area, developers tend to create illegal connections between storm water drains and sewerage pipes. “This has been a big problem. Even leading to an incident where an illegal connection led to sewage flowing into a resident’s home and yard. It’s a case of builders taking shortcuts.
“Though it might be a storm water drain, the fact that sewage is flowing out of it means that it should be a Joburg Water issue.”
The effluent is still flowing, with residents living near the Braamfontein Spruit being forced to live with the nauseating smell.
As of yet, the Sandton Chronicle has not received comments from Joburg Water regarding the issue.
