Durban — Westville residents recently complained about an overflow of sewage in the area and urged the eThekwini municipality to fix the sewerage system.
Gary Joubert, 70, a resident of Westville for 37 years, said the issue has been ongoing since the 2022 Durban floods, but the sewage overflow has escalated in the past two months resulting in sewage overflow into private residences.
The discovery was on 7 Blairgowrie Road, Westville.
Joubert said sewage started flowing into the Sunnybrae Stream about two months ago and turned the stream toxic. It was a perennial stream and there was almost no water as it was now just filled with sewage, he said.
“About three weeks ago, a municipal official arrived on site. He called a subcontractor. They reached an agreement that they needed a machine tractor, loader, and backhoe (TLB). Since then, nothing has happened.”
A week ago the ward 18 councillor, Melanie Brauteseth, arrived and told one of the residents she would see what she could do; but nothing’s happened, he said.
“I live on the stream and thought I’d investigate and repair it myself. I went with my own team of registered plumbers. But I discovered it needed a machine. We thought it was a blocked manhole, but we could not locate that; but located where the raw sewage was bubbling out of the hole.
“On Monday (March 20), we realised a TLB needs to assist.”
Joubert said this was an inherent problem in the area. This plot was an old house that was bulldozed.
“They cut the platforms and the sand and tree trunks and pushed the fills over the servitude area. This is why we can’t get to the pipe; there’s so much debris.”
Joubert said there are two pipelines where sewage flows.
“I suspect the return line pipe is broken.”
He confirmed that the municipality had made efforts to try to aid with the sewage issue in the area.
“We (myself and a team of registered plumbers) have fixed mainline sewage problems in the area before, but this needs a machine that we do not have access to,” said Joubert.
Pinetown, another neighbourhood that falls within ward 18, also complained about recent sewage overflow.
Lauren Wortmann, a Pinetown resident, said Glen Park residents marched on March 11 to the Umbilo Wastewater Treatment Works to complain about the stench and health risks.
Ward 18 Councillor Melanie Brauteseth said she thinks the sewage overflow was caused due to damage towards the pump stations, due to recent storms in the city. She said the municipality had made multiple visits and she would confirm the issues and way forward after an investigation.
eThekwini spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the city attends to all infrastructure faults reported.
“Each time after we have unblocked the manhole, we have to go back again because some residents do not desist from disposing of foreign objects in our system.”
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