WITH the rainy season upon us, several Durban North residents have raised the alarm over overflowing sewage drains and stormwater drain blockages in the area.
New Ward 36 councillor Heinz de Boer recently held a meeting with residents who voiced their concerns about old infrastructure, specifically within the sewerage network, as a contributing factor.
Some of the roads affected are Norrie Avenue, Flack Place, James Place and Mackeurtan Avenue.
While there haven’t been overflows in recent weeks, residents say the overflows often occur after heavy rains as there are recurring sewage issues which plague communities and lead to their roads, gardens and properties being flooded with contaminated water.
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They have called on the eThekwini Municipality to repair and upgrade the sewerage network as one way to address their sewage woes.
There has also been a suggestion that restaurants and new developments could be adding to the problems, and some have even pointed to foreign objects being illegally flushed down the drains as contributing factors.
Nicky Evans, a Norrie Avenue resident, said the road had often flooded after heavy rains, and this was compounded by sewage overflows.
“I’ve lived in the area since 2001, and my neighbours have all been affected by the overflows. What irks me is this untreated sewage is ultimately going out to sea because it flows into the stormwater drains. When there is a blockage of both the stormwater and sewerage networks, the water pools on Norrie Avenue. It doesn’t help that we are also at the bottom of a hill. I do feel the City needs to look at and upgrade the network. I’ve also seen cleaning cloths and other items being brought to the surface which shouldn’t be in the system,” she said.
Fellow Durban North resident Maureen Blanckenberg echoed those sentiments.
“I think most residents have similar experiences with overflows into their gardens and homes. In my case, the overflow has also undermined my well. We suspect there is a breakage in the sewerage pipe which also leads to overflows. I’ve seen the situation get worse and worse over the years, and the rain just exacerbates the problem. Another issue we have is we feel the infrastructure cannot cope with all the developments in this particular area of Durban North. It needs to be upgraded,” she said.
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Newly elected Ward 36 councillor Heinz de Boer also highlighted at the meeting that another contributing factor is households that have illegally connected their rainwater gutters into sewerage drains.
“Rainwater (stormwater) should run into stormwater drains. If stormwater enters the sewerage network, it will contribute to overflowing sewers, and it is also illegal as it violates by-laws. This is, of course, not the only reason in this area. Ageing infrastructure is also a problem – this is one of the older areas in Durban North, and the residents have correctly stated that the entire network needs upgrading and to be replaced.
“I have had assurances from the City that they will be conducting a CCTV inspection of the entire sewerage line. There is also a problem with a collapsed pipe, specifically on Norrie Avenue. The City have identified that a tree on top of the sewerage line has roots going into it. They plan to remove the tree which should alleviate some of the issues,” De Boer said.
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