Sewage overflows into Parktown gardens

This follows an article Water leak swamps Jan Smuts Avenue (published on 4 June) about a sewage overflow that had been left unattended for days in the area.

William Gaul from Parktown Association said residents living on Loch Avenue had a serious sewerage problem that Joburg Water had turned a blind eye to for years.

Gaul said he had been notified by a homeowner on Loch Avenue that he and his neighbours had been facing a recurring sewer overflow problem for years.

One homeowner, Dr Joachim Hartleb said he has had to deal with sewage overflows that came up from an outside drain on his property, and then flowed through his garden, and onto the pavement in Loch Avenue.

“The sewer water starts overflowing from the manholes in the lane behind the properties on the south side of Loch, and then later from the drain inside my property,” said Hartleb.

He said that despite several complaints by residents, it seems Joburg Water had not taken steps to resolve the issue permanently.

Hartleb said one of his neighbours had to eventually install a pipe that would carry the sewage out of his yard and onto the street.

Because of the sewage, residents have to endure bad odours and dirty water flowing through their yards.

“Due to the sewerage network being so old and not being regularly maintained, the best thing for Joburg water would be to assess the ground reality [the current situation] for a permanent solution,” said Gaul.

Joburg Water had been contacted on 25 June and 8 July, but by the time of publication had not responded to the request for comment.

Have you experienced similar problems?

Tell us by posting on our timeline, Rosebank Killarney Gazette or tweet us @RK_Gazette

Add us on BBM for the latest news in your community. PIN: 29C7976C

Related article:

Water leak swamps Jan Smuts Avenue