The Green Point community in Khayelitsha is contending with a persistent sewer leak from a drain at Icelekwane Street.
According to the frustrated residents, this has been a problem for more than five years now and they are desperate for help from the City of Cape Town.
Sthuli Nowata said the spillage from the drain, across the road from their house, has been reported every year since they first noticed it in early in 2015.
While the City had sent workers to fix it, the problem recurred a number of times.
“Something is not well here. We cannot be facing one problem every year. Surely the City needs to do something. This is frustrating. There are days when it is difficult to go in the streets,” he said.
He said most frustrating is that children are playing with the dirty water.
“We have children who just do not care and play with water. Imagine the water streams with all sorts of things. There are people who care less who throw kimbies anywhere and everywhere. This is dangerous to our health and that of our children,” he said.
Just across the road, Mpumelelo Mzukwa had a similar problem.
He said he had called the municipality numerous times and while they had done repair work, the problems persisted.
“This should not happen anywhere in the world. You cannot report one thing but no one gets it right. We do not know where to run to because we have been to the City and they come, we have alerted our councillor, he has probably tried from his side. Each day the leak is becoming worse,” he told Vukani.
When Vukani enquired about the matter, the City’s Mayco member for waste and water, Xanthea Limberg, said the City was aware of the problem and it would be attended to.
“According to the City’s investigations in the area, this was not a sewer overflow but a leaking water pipe. This has been referred to the local water depot for action,” she said.
She encouraged residents to submit all water-related service requests, including burst mains and sewer blockages/overflows, by calliing 0860 103 089 (choose option 1 for Solid Waste and option 2 for water-related matters) emailing water@capetown.gov.za or sending an SMS to 31373. These can also be logged online at www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests/