Hazendal residents are complaining about the stench of sewage in the area after sanitation workers used hoses to bypass an obstructed drain.
Residents say the hoses – running from a drain in 10th Avenue to one in nearby Downing Street – were ruptured by vehicles driving over them repeatedly, causing sewage to spill out in front of their homes.
The problem started four months, according to resident Graham Dirks, who says nothing has been done about it despite it being reported to ward councillor Rashid Adams.
The sewage gave off a horrible stench and attracted flies, he said. Residents feared for their health and walked with towels over their heads to avoid the smell and germs.
“We are sitting with this health problem for the last four months in Hazendal and Bokmakierie area. The contractors are pumping sewage every day, even on weekends and public holidays, right on our doorstep. The councillor said that he will speak to the project manager, but nothing has happened yet.”
Winston van Nooi, of 10th Avenue, said he had had sewage in front of his house every day since February. There were flies in his house all the time, and the smell was unbearable.
The ward councillor needed to sort out the problem, he said.
“When it comes to voting, they can quickly sort issues out, but not when it is not voting time. There’s lots of people with babies in the road. This is so unhealthy. We can’t even have visitors over.”
Mr Adams said he had not seen any sewage spill when he visited the area on Thursday June 9.
The bypass was needed, he said, because residents of an 11th Avenue property had built an extension that partially covered a main drain.
“I cannot say by when the issue would be sorted out,” he said. “The residents have been issued with a compliance notice, and they have 30 days to take down the extension they’ve built over the drain. In the meantime, the City has been pumping the sewage from a drain in 10th Avenue into a sewage drain in Downing Street, Hazendal, to help solve the issue.”