“The stench is overwhelming and it is so foul.” That is what Josie Holtzhausen had to say about the raw sewage flooding the road right next to her office for over a month now.
She works at a scrap yard at the intersection of Anzac and Brown roads in Newlands. Caitlin Gates, who works at an autobody shop on the other side of the intersection, said she was scared to go in the road because it is ‘so disgusting and unhealthy.
Holzhausen said, “This has been like this for weeks and the City of Johannesburg and the ward councillors aren’t doing anything about it. We have reported it on numerous occasions and nothing’s happening. We have asked them to treat it as a matter of urgency seeing that it is a health risk but no one seems to care.”
They have both repeatedly been trying to get help from Johannesburg Water to fix the overflowing sewerage pipes. When visiting the site, the amount of untreated sewage flowing from the blocked pipe is hard to miss with the liquid easily covering the street.
Johannesburg Water’s spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini said when asked what timeframes are in place for blocked sewerage pipes, “The sewer blockage turnaround time is 24 hours. However, there are certain times that the blockage will require mechanical equipment, in that case the turnaround time for this would get extended to four days. At other times, the issue might require more investigation like a CCTV survey that might find that there’s a collapsed pipe, for example, which needs to be repaired. This also has a turnaround time of four days. The method requires extensive investigation as there is live flow in the pipeline.”
Following queries by the Northcliff Melville Times, Dhlamini said she hopes the problem will be resolved before this edition of the paper is printed.
Councillor for Ward 82 Khana Amod said, “I am aware of the sewage spill along Anzac and Brown streets. I have escalated this concern to Johannesburg Water several times to no avail. There was no response to resolve this urgent matter, maybe due to Joburg Water’s own challenges. This is an urgent matter and is a very unhygienic situation where residents’, especially children’s, health are at risk. I am still following up on this matter and will continue until it gets sorted.”
Dhlamini blamed sewerage blockages on two things. Firstly, the misuse of customers ‘disposing of foreign objects into our drainage systems (oily substances, food scraps that become solid in pipes, rags, wet wipes, and sanitary items’. The second, ‘which is a huge one, is the theft and vandalism of infrastructure, and in this case, particularly manhole covers, which makes it easier for people to litter and throw objects into the drains’.
As the province grapples with a cholera outbreak, the seriousness of this case is clear.
Bhekisisa, the Centre for Health Journalism says, “Cholera is caused by a germ, vibrio cholerae, which normally hitches a ride from one person to another through an infected person’s faeces. The bacterium spreads when contaminated sewage isn’t disposed of properly, and then comes into contact with water or food that others consume.”
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases says of cholera, “Water contaminated with human faeces is the most important means of transmission, either directly (drinking contaminated water), or indirectly (eating contaminated food). Outbreaks usually occur in the developing world and are associated with poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Those most at risk of contracting cholera are those who do not have access to piped safe water and improved sanitation.”
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