Residents get answers on sewage issues
FOURWAYS GARDENS – Water and sewage woes which have been plaguing the community around Fourways Mall for months were discussed at a meeting on 7 June.
Residents that live around the Fourways Mall area had the chance to have their concerns about sewage and other issues noted and addressed at a meeting held in the area on 7 June.
The meeting, which was hosted at the Fourways Gardens Estate clubhouse, saw about 20 people attend in total. David Foley, the councillor for Ward 94 and Gert Jacobs, who is the regional director of the Roodepoort and Diepsloot depots for Joburg Water, discussed sewage issues and answered resident’s questions during the time. The meeting was called for in response to a number of issues with sewage leaks that have plagued the area since last year.
“Today is about having a conversation with the community about issues,” Foley told the Fourways Review before the meeting got underway.
Community members also wanted the meeting to be a step forward towards solutions.
Andrew Doig, who lives in the Fairfield Estate near the mall said, “I’m hoping to hear about long-term permanent solutions to the issues, not a plaster put over the problem.”
The first incident discussed was the pipe damaged on the Fourways Mall side of William Nicol Drive, which occurred back in December due to construction on the site.
Jacobs discussed what went wrong, why there were delays in the repairs and how waterways were treated with chemicals to counter the environmental damage that the raw sewage had caused.
“The mall has installed PVC piping [to replace the damaged pipes] and have also constructed new pipe beams there to protect the line from further damage.
“The most recent issue is a blockage that has occurred next to the bridge on Fourways Boulevard, which was caused after the manhole cover [covering the sewer line] was stolen, and bits of concrete fell into the hole, creating a blockage.”
This blockage has since been repaired, and Foley added that on both 1 and 8 June the water sources in the area were again treated with chemicals to reduce unhealthy plant growth and remove any remaining smells.
Other issues were also mentioned: Doig brought up that he and his neighbours are affected by a bad smell at about 4:30pm daily, and possible sources were considered. The presence of vagrants, taxis and hawkers in the area were mentioned and the need for education about what can and cannot go into the sewer line was discussed.
Foley also informed residents that sewege blockages should be addressed by Joburg Water within 24 hours of them being reported, and suggested that if one has issues with the call centre, one could instead email Joburg Water (customerserviceemails@jwater.co.za) with information and thus have a paper trail and correct reference number for following up or escalating issues.
“We also urge residents to provide as much detail as possible, and also provide their contact details when they make a report so we can get all the info we need,” concluded Jacobs.
Details: David Foley on ward94jhbmetro@gmail.com or
www.johannesburgwater.co.za
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