Hundreds of litres of sewage pouring into river daily at Two Rivers Country Estate

With each passing minute, litres are added to an ongoing environmental calamity.

In a quiet corner of a scenic residential estate, human sludge is gushing from a gaping hole. Following the storms that lashed Roodepoort in early December, the main sewerage line running through the valley and over a river which makes up the Two Rivers Country Estate was washed away. The result has been a month and a half of raw sewage pouring into the river from the outlet the pipe once adjoined.

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As a request for an update on a desperately needed solution, Honeydew Residents Association, trustees of Two Rivers Country Estate and ward governance had a meeting at the site to hear what the progress was in halting the poisoning of the tributaries. As well as the destruction of the natural habitat, the smell emanating from the now toxic river fills the luxury homes along the river.

Ward 97 councillor, Jacques Hoon, was accompanied by Johannesburg Water’s Nico Singh and Member of the Provincial Legislature, Bronwynn Engelbrecht. The Johannesburg Water official detailed the timeline of events so far, stating that the repair process is being expedited under emergency authorisations. The project, which requires provincial department budget and approval, should have the green-light by the beginning of February and will come at an estimated cost of R5 million.

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Two Rivers resident, Hennie Cloete stated that the pipe has been leaking in some shape or form since 2019. The now displaced pipe has several iron clamps around it, each one marking an attempt to plug a hole in the shell. The pipe had been damaged a week before the December 9 storm but an early assessment did not mention any structural damage. However, the subsequent storm ripped the steel pipe off of the concrete bollards, depositing it several metres along the riverbank.

Although Johannesburg Water has been on site regularly since the pipe broke, there has been no temporary fix to stop the sewage flowing into the river. It was stated that blocking the hole would cause a build up and overflow further up the system and the only consolation that could be offered was that once repairs are complete a process of bio remediation will begin.

The outcome was that within a few weeks contractors would be finalised and once work begins an accurate timeline could then be given. The affected river flows from Ruimsig into Muldersdrift-se-Loop and then the Crocodile River before emptying into Hartbeespoort Dam. The human cost may be excessive but the environmental damage in the immediate vicinity and downstream is difficult to quantity.

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