Raw sewage water is pictured in the streets of Peacehaven, Vereeniging, 21 July 2020. Alining pump stations and treatment plants have caused overflows of sewage all over the area, with some residents even having to resort to using buckets to drain their baths and toilets. Residents have begun digging trenches under their boundary walls in order for the build-up of water to drain from their properties.
Sewage pooling in the reeds near a pumping station in Peacehaven, which flows into Klip River. Photo: Tracy Lee Stark Rand Water spokesperson Justice Mohale said they are not aware of any temporary pipeline laid, and suggested getting comment from Emfuleni municipality. No response was received.on a tour of the town, and detailed his frustration with Emfuleni municipal officials and the Department of Water and Sanitation. He said that despite numerous attempts to contact authorities to rectify the sewage leaks and large-scale blockages, no action has been taken.
The roots of trees in her garden are rotting and the walls around her home crumbling due to sewage seeping into the soil. People in the area worry that the foundations of their homes could soon start to erode, and fear for the health hazards of living in such close proximity to raw sewage.Load shedding exacerbates sewage leaks
Trenches dug by residents in an attempt to divert raw sewage away from houses. Photo: Tracy Lee Stark The Sebokeng wastewater treatment plant has been working over capacity daily since it was vandalised in 2018, pushing the amount of treated wastewater to over 100 million litres. Stewart said work is expected to be commissioned at Sebokeng by the end of July.This commitment is still not enough to guarantee that the DWS steps up to its responsibilities, according to water scientist Anthony Turton, who said overdue wastewater treatment work is due to nationwide State failure.
“By allowing this failure to continue unabated, simply because DWS failed in its regulatory role, around two-thirds of all municipalities are now in various stages of failure and are unable to self-correct.” 60% of wastewater treatment works in the country are not fully functional, with processes further disrupted due to load shedding.
Stagnant, untreated sewage and waste bubbles in a temporary storage pool near a golf course in Peacehaven. Photo: Tracy Lee Stark
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: TheCitizen_News - 🏆 6. / 75 Read more »