Sewer springs eternal, “How do the school kids breathe?”
At some point, the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality must take accountability for the enormous environmental impact sewer pollution has on our rivers and communities.
These are the sentiments of frustrated residents who have watched raw sewage flood into the Vaalbank stream and Klein Olifants River for the last five years.
A resident of Oos Street, Mr Danie Deysel, pointed out that the sewer line leading to Eastdene has sprung multiple leaks between Cowen Ntuli and Koets Street, pushing raw effluent into the Klein Olifants River.
Despite efforts to report the sewer leaks, the pollution has been ongoing for the last five days making living conditions unbearable for Eastdene residents.
Mr Deysel said there is a constant stench of sewage, and he wonders how the learners of Eastdene Combined School can even breathe, considering their close proximity to the Klein Olifants River, where the sewage spills are at their worst.
“If you drive down Arafat Street to Cowen Ntuli, the sewer line that runs along the river probably has four leaks in a question of every ten metres. The leaks have been reported, and yet we are going onto the fifth day of nothing being done about it.”
Mr Deysel also expressed his frustration about how long it has taken the municipality to address the pollution permanently.
“They will attend to leaks as they are reported, but the leaks just spring up again. Residents have grown accustomed to sewer pollution as a normal way of life. The raw sewage has been flowing into our rivers for years now, even toilet paper is floating in the water. And it begs the question of where it all ends? It ends up in our drinking water! It goes to Loskop Dam, which is used for the irrigation of fresh produce. At some point, the municipality will have to take accountability for the disastrous impact the pollution has made on our environment.”
• The leaks in Eastdene have been reported to VF+ Ward Councillor Juanita Mentz.
