eMBALENHLE – A non-functioning sewer pump station has been making life hell for a family in Ext 22, eMbalenhle.
Gugu Mahlangu said the pump station next to her RDP house is causing sewage to spill into her RDP house. This has been ongoing for almost three years.
She said the problem began when the pump station stopped working. All the sewage that is supposed to go to the station, flows back into her house through her toilet.
“When I flush the toilet, the sewage bubbles up, over the toilet rim and onto the floor.
“My entire house has been flooded with water and sewage. My furniture is damaged and my 10-year-old child has begun coughing severely and has sinus,” said Mahlangu.
He is still unwell.
Mahlangu hired a team to clean up her yard and they have now broken open a pipe outside to allow the sewage to spill outside rather than into her house.
According to Mahlangu, she has reported the sewage spill numerously over the years. The municipality had allegedly promised to send a honey sucker out to clean out the sewer pipes.
Mahlangu said she was reporting the spills to the municipality but they kept on promising to come with a suck truck two years ago, but till today nothing happened.
She said when she reports the matter, the municipal employees always come, look and promise to return, but they never do.
“I suffer because the Govan Mbeki Municipality is failing to maintain its infrastructure, now all the community’s sewage is coming into my yard.
“I wish the municipality will demolish the pump station. Perhaps my situation will then be better,” said Mahlangu.
The eMbalenhle Ext 18 and 22 sewer pump station refurbishment and sewer reticulation network upgrade are multi-million rand projects done by Sasol’s Ikusasa projects six years ago.
The acting head of communications for the municipality, Lucky Mhlongo said heavy rain that was accompanied by a storm damaged the Ext.22 sewer pump station some months ago.
Mhlongo said the municipality is waiting for the ordered pumps that will be installed and for the pump station to start working again.
Mhlongo also said they don't have pumps and other pump stations also require equipment.
