Auckland Park Nursery School sewage crisis relief after intervention
Auckland Park Nursery School had been grappling with a persistent sewage problem that posed a serious health risk to staff and children, however the situation has now been resolved.
Sharifa Omarjee, the long-time operator of Auckland Park Nursery School, had been battling with a sewage issue that has plagued the school since last weekend.
According to Omarjee, a blocked sewer first appeared late on Friday, September 6, with water running through the school premises. She immediately contacted the Department of Health, but her efforts were met with no response.
Read more: Raw sewage pollutes local waterways
“I’m worried about the health of my staff and the kids, especially. We have tenants living on the premises, and the smell is just unbearable,” Omarjee expressed with concern.
In a desperate attempt to mitigate the situation, the school had to resort to hosing down the artificial grass, using sanitising liquid and washing powder to disinfect the area.
She voiced her frustration, stating that the problem in the community is that many of the homes are inhabited by tenants, and the owners do not take responsibility for the condition of the property or the proper use of the sanitation facilities.
Also read: Three-year long sewage issue down the drain
The school was also affected by a burst pipe, further exacerbating the water and sewage issues in the area. Omarjee said there was a lack of responsiveness from Joburg Water – she could not even obtain a reference number for her query over the weekend, as the phone lines were completely offline.
“This is becoming a health risk because our kids are playing in sewage. It’s ridiculous,” Omarjee emphasised. The situation forced the school to relocate two classes that were affected by the sewage buildup, and Omarjee had to email parents to inform them of the uncontrollable circumstances. However, intervention soon followed after.
Ward 87 councilor, Kyle Jacobs, intervened and escalated the matter to Johannesburg Water, leading to a swift resolution.
Nombuso Shabalala, the spokesperson for Johannesburg Water, confirmed that the sewage blockage at the nursery was attended to and cleared on Tuesday, September 10.
The team also assisted with cleaning up the nursery yard. While the initial response from the authorities was lacking, the situation has now been resolved, providing relief to the school and its community.
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