Raw sewage running around high-end properties
Pinehaven and the Heuningklip, Honingklip, Steynsvlei and Northvale areas are high risk areas due to E.Coli bacteria in water.
GJ Bronkhorst, a resident of Muldersdrift, recently informed the News about a leaking sewerage pipe near the Pinehaven intersection (the intersection of Hendrik Potgieter Road and the R28/N14) that is threatening the health of residents in the area.
Bronkhorst called on Patrick Lipudi, Executive Mayor of Mogale City, to address what he called the ‘life-threatening consequences of sewer problems west and north of the Pinehaven intersection’.
Photo: Petition24
In his efforts to create awareness, Brandt has created a petition on Petitions24 which reads:
“We, the residents living within the urban edge and in the urban area around the Pinehaven node and the Heuningklip, Honingklip, Steynsvlei and Northvale holdings respectively, are asking Mogale City Local Municipality to urgently provide sanitation and waste water treatment facilities to circumvent and avoid a man-made disaster.”
In the petition he identified a few problems with the sewerage services in that area:
• He said the inadequate waste water and sewerage services in the Pinehaven node and the surrounding areas is causing a constant threat to the lives and health of residents, animals and wildlife who cannot cope with the potential consequences.
• Twelve years ago, council identified the need to establish a new sewer outfall system for this area through a Needs Analysis undertaken by consulting engineers that it appointed.
• The analysis considered developments in the area such as the Pinehaven Country Estate, the private hospital, Heritage Heights and developments east of the R28 which would have potentially put too much strain on the existing sewerage line.
• During the same period, council approved and allowed the development of Pinehaven Country Estates with two pumping stations, PS1 and PS2, and a sewer line to connect to council’s main sewer outfall line along Hendrik Potgieter Road.
Bronkhorst believes that council failed to observe that the pumps at both pumping stations were incorrectly sized. He claimed that PS2 pumped 14 litres per second (l/s) instead of the 15,33l/s minimum required.
In 2005, the Council had judgment given against it in an urgent interdict in the High Court to prevent sewage leaking into the wetland and the property below Pinehaven Estate’s Pumping Station. By this time, the E. coli levels in the water had reached 34 000 colony forming units (cfu)/100 ml as opposed to the acceptable level of 1 000 cfu/100 ml.
E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, a type of faecal coliform bacteria commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans. The presence of E. coli in water is a strong indication of recent sewage or animal waste contamination.
Council approved a number of developments in the area, fully aware of the fact that waste water and sewage services were not available, and condoned the development of illegal housing and related developments west and north of Pinehaven Country Estate, notably in Steynsvlei, with its wetland area.
By 2007 there was an unbearable burden on the existing sewerage infrastructure and bulk collection sewers were supposed to be installed as a matter of priority. These facilities were however only installed south and east of the R28 and Muldersdrift (Featherbrooke area) and not in the north or west.
“In 2008, in the Environmental Impact Assessment process to enable the construction of the sewerage outfall system in the area, the project was viewed as a priority. The assessment stated that not providing an optimum Muldersdrift Sanitation Strategy would cause sanitation facilities in the area to become prohibitively expensive,” said Bronkhorst.
The results can be seen in the photographs of recent events.
Photo: Petition24
Along with the complaints, Bronkhorst also suggested that council consider the following actions:
1. On an urgent basis, immediately consolidate the recommendations of numerous studies and approvals conducted over the last twelve years.
2. Re-prioritise the council’s capital budget to re-introduce Phase 2 construction of the Muldersdrift outfall sewer and proceed with site activities on an urgent basis.
3. With community participation, address the negative perceptions, which have now become reality, about the investment potential of the area and diminishing property values.
4. Institute inquiries and possible disciplinary hearings into the accountability of relevant senior officials in allowing fruitless and wasteful expenditure and the escalation of the sewer problems in the area to the current unmanageable levels.
5. Address the potential of claims for damages emanating from the evils created by not managing service issues on sewer and sanitation matters.
“Whatever is coming our way, we need to create safe, clean and environmentally conscious processes – whether it is to participate, perhaps reluctantly, in urbanisation processes or simply insisting on proper and professional attention being given to the waste water that will emanate from the urbanisation that is coming our way.”
The Mogale City Local Municipality was contacted for comment. The News is awaiting a reply.
To read more about the petition or to sign it visit .
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