Pniel residents have expressed frustration over sewage “regularly” overflowing from drains and spilling onto some residential properties.
This is according to Paul Cyster, a community leader in Pniel. It is a problem that has persisted for more than 20 years, claimed Cyster.
Paul Cyster is a community leader in Pniel. Cyster organised a community meeting on the 25th of October to discuss various issues. These issues included sewage overflowing from drains onto residents’ properties, informal settlements in the area, profanity, and other matters, according to Cyster. PHOTO: Joel Ontong
A constant issue
The streets that are affected by overflowing sewage include East End Crescent, Riverside Street and Pastorie Avenue, according to Cyster, who is a resident of East End Crescent.
“Two [or] three times a week, I have to call the [Stellenbosch] municipality to tell them the sewage is in the streets,” Cyster told MatieMedia.
This occurrence elicits health concerns, due to the sewage possibly carrying diseases, expressed Cyster. The sewage also makes its way to the nearby Banghoek River, further creating environmental concerns, continued Cyster.
Stellenbosch Municipality has attempted to alleviate the problem numerous times, but there has been no permanent solution, claimed Cyster.
“We are […] aware of the assistance we have provided at the East End Crescent Street in the past,” wrote Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
If residents experience issues of this kind, they can contact the municipality for assistance, wrote Grobbelaar.
Cyster organised a community meeting on the 25th of October to discuss various issues, including the issue of overflowing sewage, says Cyster. The meeting was held in order to find possible solutions to community ailments, he says.
Denise Jefthas (Image 1) lives on Riverside Street (Image 2). Sewage overflows onto her garden after moderate to heavy rainfall, causing an unpleasant smell, she said. Numerous residents on Riverside Street face problems with sewage, she told MatieMedia. PHOTOS: Joel Ontong
Affected residents
Among the residents who are affected by sewage overflowing onto their property are O’Brien Patience and Gladys Patience in East End Crescent. Sewage overflows onto the couple’s back-and-front yard, said O’Brien Patience. The overflowing is not season specific and persists throughout the year, he said.
The overflowing sewage also makes it difficult to sell this property, he added. “I wanted to sell [my property], so then a buyer came. But then they smelled the sewage…,” he said.
Because they are located at a low elevation, their specific area constantly experiences sewage overflowing from drains, said Gladys Patience. They are “the final point” for the sewage in their town, she claimed.
The couple believes that the occurrence of overflowing sewage is an infrastructural issue and needs to be dealt with as such, for a permanent end to the problem.
Various residents in Pniel are affected by sewage overflowing from drains onto their residential properties. For issues such as these, residents should contact the Stellenbosch Municipality, said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality. Dwarsrivier region residents can call 021 808 8632 for assistance, according to Grobbelaar. VIDEO: Joel Ontong
When the couple launch a complaint to Stellenbosch Municipality about the sewage, the municipality usually just cleans up the street, claimed O’Brien Patience. However, the infrastructural cause of the problem has not been adequately dealt with, he added.
Denise Jefthas is another affected resident who lives on Riverside Street. Each year she has reported the problem to the municipality, she says. The sewage overflows onto her front lawn, causing an unpleasant smell, she says. The entire street where she lives is affected by the issue, she told MatieMedia.
In her street, the overflowing sewage usually occurs after moderate to heavy rainfall, she says. Jefthas also believes that there needs to be an infrastructural solution for the overflowing sewage to be permanently eliminated.