Durban — A sewer pipeline that has been blocked for a month has left the management of the Durban Eye and Laser Clinic frustrated, while leaking sewage has been detected in the Umbilo River.
The blockage at the clinic has caused sewage water to flow down the driveway in the corner of the property where the Humana Health Centre is situated along Hopelands Road in Overport.
Clinic manager Leena David said they had hired private contractors to unblock pipes but because they were below road level, plumbers requested that the municipality clear the main pipeline.
David said municipal teams came to the site twice but claimed they were not equipped to clear the blockage.
“This is a continuous flow. It had become so bad on some days that we had to close. As the day progresses the odour becomes worse. We have resorted to spraying chemicals over the leak to minimise the smell and kill any germs,” David said.
Staff has used sandbags to prevent the sewage from flowing into the client walk-in section. eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the city would look into the matter.
“Once cases of this nature are reported we usually move with speed to attend to them. This one is no exception. Our challenge is that some of us are not relenting in disposing of foreign objects in our sanitation system (causing) it to clog consistently,” Mayisela said.
ActionSA councillor Ahmed Paruk said he had escalated the matter to city management.
Paruk said ActionSA’s legal teams issued a letter of demand to the municipality to stop the flow of sewage into river systems in the city, that has resulted in the closure of beaches, health concerns for residents, and long-term damage to sensitive ecosystems.
“It is unacceptable that this matter had been allowed to drag on for a month without any site inspections or follow-ups,” Paruk said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen, on Friday, said they would also take legal action against eThekwini Municipality for its failure to maintain water and sewerage infrastructure.
He visited the Umbilo Wastewater Treatment Works where raw sewage has reportedly been streaming into the river and flowing into the harbour. Steenhuisen said all this had devastating effects on communities.
“This great city cannot be allowed to continue on its current downward spiral. This oversight visit will form part of our fact-finding mission ahead of announcing our legal action against the eThekwini Metro Council for their failure to maintain these critical pieces of infrastructure and shield the city’s residents from dangerous pollution,” Steenhuisen said.
Daily News