Rotten egg smell affecting residents’ health

Residents expressed their concerns for their health as toxic gas fills the air.

Ipeleng Mofokeng, a resident of Fleurhof since 2012, explained the smell is similar to that of a rotten egg, which is already not pleasant, but it is also a health hazard to the community as she knows it is caused by alleged hydrogen sulfide emissions.

She continued to say that after they researched the smell, they discovered that the cold-like symptoms they had were because of the emissions, and explained her daughter experienced a blocked nose that they could not get rid of and after that, she lost her sense of smell. Her husband, Tshepiso, continued that the only advice given to them by a doctor was to move.

They are experiencing constant fatigue and mild headaches, which they assumed might have been for other reasons such as not drinking enough water or low blood sugar, however after speaking to their neighbours, they discovered they weren’t the only ones experiencing these symptoms.

Tshepiso added it is making their homes inhabitable. They closed the air vents in their house in an attempt to block out the smell, a danger in itself as it is a fire hazard.

Ipeleng mentioned she would cover her children with their blankets at night as she is afraid of them inhaling toxins.
The Roodepoort Record reached out to Johannesburg Water (JW) spokesperson, Nombuso Shabalala, who explained the issue with the smell started at the beginning of April after raw sewage spilled into Fleurhof Dam due to a blocked manhole caused by illegal mining activity. He explained that the sewage flows into the dam, which is what causes the smell.
Ipeleng wanted to know if there are protocols to be followed in this situation and if it is possible for the dam to be monitored and the feedback shared with residents. She stated they are aware of the updates regarding the situation being posted on Facebook, however, they have not received any advice on how to protect their health, as in the case of Covid-19 precautions during the lockdown.

“This is serious and endangering human lives, so we need a solution right now. This is an emergency,” Tshepiso said.

“I feel they were supposed to jump on it. We understand it is beyond their control looking at how it started, but the moment they learned about it they were supposed to take control of it. That’s how I feel, just take control of the situation and help us,” added Ipeleng.

Shahalala said JW identified the origin of the sewage spill into the Fleurhof Dam as a 900mm outfall manhole that was blocked by illegal miners who are using the water for mining activities.

“It is likely that the line could be blocked by boulders, sandbags, soil, and other building-type rubble. Unfortunately, the management of the odour cannot be controlled at present until the spillage and blockage are eradicated. Once this is done, water quality testing will be facilitated through the City of Joburg’s Environment, Infrastructure and Service Delivery Department and JW,” Shabalala noted.

According to him, a multi-disciplinary task team held a meeting on April 12 at the site where the contamination occurred – between Albertina Sisulu Road and the R41 (Main Reef Road) in Florida. Numerous stakeholders were also present at the meeting as well as representatives from the Department of Minerals Resources and Energy, JW, Fleurhof CPF, Florida SAPS, JMPD, and ward committee members. He continued to say weekly engagements have been coordinated with the stakeholders, by the ward councillor.

“JW is working in collaboration with these stakeholders on a short-term solution. There was no access road for Johannesburg Water to get to the site with the required specialised equipment and vehicle to unblock the sewer line. This is because access to the site has been destroyed due to the illegal mining activity in the area. Furthermore, the manhole is inaccessible as it is currently beneath the water level of the stream. So, the priority is to create an access road and divert the watercourse so that the manhole is accessible. Assistance has been rendered by the developer and the new pipeline contractor. Due to the volume of sewage and difficulty in unblocking the line, a ‘combo jet vacuum machine’ will be required. It is a large machine that requires an adequate road to access the site. Once the manhole can be cleared, other impediments on the sewerage infrastructure can be investigated, if applicable,” Shabalala concluded.

Ward 70 councillor, Caleb Finn, has not commented on the matter.