Fed-up community cleans and unblocks sewer themselves
“We decided to stop waiting and hoping that the problem will be solved because this blocked drain and filth are affecting us."
Blocked sewers can be dangerous to residents’ health, are unpleasant, and smell bad when they overflow into the streets, stormwater systems, rivers, and the ocean.
On Thursday, May 5 a group of residents and some employees from Beth’s Pawnshop took it upon themselves to clean Paragon and Burger Streets, and unblock an overflowing sewer that has been a problem for a while.
One eager volunteer, Thami Nxali explained to the Record that he wanted to be able to say he was proud of Roodepoort.
“We decided to stop waiting and hoping that the problem will be solved because this blocked drain and filth are affecting us.
“If I am correct this sewer has been overflowing for close to seven months. We have been complaining and reporting it but nothing is ever done. We decided to clean up and try to unblock the drain ourselves, using the little equipment we had so that we could work and be safe in our area.
“I am really disappointed in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) for failing to prioritize our health and dignity,” said Nxali.
According to Piet Mokgode who is employed at Beth’s Pawnshop the smell from the blocked drain was a problem for their customers as they found it hard to visit the shop, and rather chose another pawn shop nearby.
“The customers are complaining about the mess outside and that is a direct threat to my job as many customers will be turned away by the unpleasant smell,” said a worried Mokgode.
When the Record contacted Ward 84 councilor Johannes Goosen for comment on the matter, he advised residents to report any road issues to Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and sewerage drain issues to Joburg Water.
Joburg Water can be contacted for all water-related issues such as faulty or leaking meters, burst pipes, blocked drains, sewage, meter-reading schedules, prepaid vending, meter changes, contractors, water maintenance, and planned or unplanned water disruptions. Issues can also be reported by emailing customer@jwater.co.za or by visiting johannesburgwater.co.za.
JRA can be contacted for road-related issues such as faulty traffic lights, emergency defects relating to roads and stormwater drains, potholes, flooding, blocked kurb inlets, and missing manhole covers. Emails can be sent to hotline@jra.org.za.
