It is alleged that since its construction, the Acacia Road Pump Station in Blue Hills has overflowed many times. Various role players and residents concerned about the sewer plant weigh in on the challenges and possible resolutions.
Pump station is a ‘serious headache’
Ward 112 councillor Madeleine Hicklin said the pump station had proven to be a serious headache for many residents’ since it was constructed decades ago.
“It overflows on a regular basis and causes a great deal of pollution into the surrounding areas,” said Hicklin.
“There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary one is that the pump station was positioned and built on a wetland, allegedly 30 years ago.”
She added that the current administration was left with a serious problem to address the issue.
“As the MMC for the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD), Councillor Nico de Jager, can attest, moving the current location of the pump station is impossible at this stage because there is no budget for such a big project but it could be looked at in the coming years,” she said, adding that the station had to be managed and the negative impact on the environment needed to be limited as best as possible.
“When it rains, the pump station gets flooded and the pump screens become blocked which causes the effluent to overflow. In an ideal world, the entire pump station needs to be moved out of the wetland. Currently, Joburg Water has teams permanently clearing the screens twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, seven days a week. Ideally, we need a third shift that clears the screens at about 9pm.”
Budget is needed to resolve the problem
Ward 112 committee member Benson Motsumi, who is the head of the infrastructure portfolio, explained that a budget needed to be allocated to resolve the issues.
“Midrand residents will struggle with sewer systems problems and other forms of infrastructure if there is no budget allocated to resolving these problems which were created over 40 or 50 years ago, there is a serious need to expand systems,” said Motsumi.
“Municipalities have not been developing and maintaining infrastructure in accordance with the population for years in areas which were previously designed for a few people.”
There is a budget for infrastructure upgrades in Midrand – MMC
Nico de Jager, the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, said there was a budget allocated to infrastructure upgrades in Midrand.
“In the coming 2018/19 financial year we have budgeted R52,6 million towards infrastructure in the greater Midrand area.
“The money will be spent on the replacement of 1,9km (R6,6 million) of sewer pipes and 7,3km (R13 million) of water pipes. We will also start with new reservoirs and towers namely Halfway House Reservoir, Erand Tower and Blue Hills Tower to the total value of R33 million.”
Waste overflows and runs into my property – resident
Midrand resident Janice Spencer Dawson lives less than 1km away from the Acacia Road sewer pump station.
“I have lived on my property for years and the more Midrand develops, the more I suffer because when the station is blocked and the waste overflows, it runs into my property and nobody ever comes back to clean the mess left in my yard,” Dawson said.
“According to my knowledge, the first spill took place in 2007 and has been a constant issue since then. No permanent solution has been offered, instead, more and more households are being connected to this already struggling station.”
Dawson also revealed that it’s not only what they see that is a problem. “The biggest problem is that, regardless of the major spills, there is a constant smell that comes from there every day, mainly around 5pm when most people return home and start using their sinks, toilets, showers and other things.
“I am surprised that my children are not sick every day from the polluted oxygen they are forced to inhale on a daily basis. The smell is not healthy nor are the spills, more needs to be done regardless of the fact that Johannesburg Water is constantly at the station.”
Solutions to the sewer system challenge according to Hicklin and Motsumi:
- People need to be educated and conduct research about what they can and cannot throw in a drain or flush down a toilet
- People should avoid negligently disposing of the following things – nappies, shoes, wet wipes and clothes because they have been found to be the culprits that often clog up the screens at the pump station as well as rubbish that is often thrown out of windows by motorists or dropped by pedestrians
- There needs to be a budget allocated to infrastructure development
- Midrand infrastructure was not built to handle its current capacity, therefore, these constant developments have created an infrastructure backlog and problem.
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