Don’t abuse sewerage system, warns Durban eco warrior
The river champion's advice follows the many questions he gets about who is to blame for the highly polluted Palmiet River.
PALMIET River Watch champion said it takes just one irresponsible individual to block the sewer-lines and cause untold environmental damage, inconvenience and health risks which tie up municipal resources unnecessarily, wasting rates.
Lee D’Eathe advised residents to start taking responsibility; “People are causing the pollution, health hazard and loss of biodiversity.”
ALSO READ: Tons of trash found in the Palmiet River
The head of every household needs to be aware of how the waste-water and stormwater systems work; and make sure that everyone in that household knows and is not disposing of anything but human excrement and toilet paper.
Lee said there are numerous sewer line blockages with thousands of litres of water flowing from the sewage system into the streams which is creating a nuisance and a health hazard, including to the schools and parks down Fyfe Road to where the Kingfisher Stream flows into the Palmiet River at Methven Road.
“The pollution was reported two kilometres downstream at Palmiet Drive where there was murky water with thick foam. The blockage in Jupiter Road and Ashwin Avenue, reported recently, were not caused by plant roots or a lack of maintenance, but by disposable nappies,a few sanitary pads and several large ‘wet wipes’. The blockages are proof of the abuse of the sewer system,” said Lee.
The river champion’s advice follows the many questions he gets about who is to blame for the highly polluted Palmiet River; all but wiping out the creatures that live there.
“A concerned nurse and resident spoke to me about treating numerous patients with ‘gastro’ who told of sewage leaks bubbling up in garages and running through gardens, across streets and into streams; and she was aware of the terrible risk of life-threatening diseases carried into homes, underfoot and via pets’ paws.”
Ongoing sewage blocks cause havoc
“Wrong conclusions abound, and blame is passed to and fro such as industry, old infrastructure, informal settlements or service delivery. Sure, they all contribute to a greater or lesser degree, depending when and where you are.”
He said the answer found here in the Westville North, Cowies and Chiltern Hills, is: ‘If you, the reader, are not to blame yourself, it is likely to be someone under your roof; or one of your neighbours’.
In December and January, Westville North, Cowies and Chiltern Hills residents were abuzz on social media and the press; and had municipal resources on the hop with numerous sewer blockages and raw sewage leaks on properties, running through gardens and pouring tens of thousands of litres of contaminated water into the streams and polluting the Palmiet River.
“Sewer blockages reported at Aberfeldy Road, Jupiter Road and Ashwin Avenue, were not caused by plant roots, or a lack of maintenance, but by disposable nappies (baby diapers), sanitary pads, wet wipes, rags, tampons, condoms, and other indescribable trash.
“Municipal sewage blockage teams arrive, clear blockages, scrapes up the grey gunge covering sections of the gardens, disinfect areas and covers some of the affected lawn with compost and remove many bags of waste; faced again and again with an overwhelming number of similar totally unnecessary blockages,” said Lee.
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