It is becoming a disaster.
These are the words of a powerless resident of Extension 32 in Bethelsdorp who has been struggling with sewage water flowing through the rooms of his house for several weeks, causing harm to his family.
According to Marco Brown, since the problem started, his three-year-old daughter has developed stomach problems that she can’t seem to overcome.
“My baby girl caught a stomach bug from the stench and all the bacteria flowing through our kitchen and back room because of that sewage drain that cannot be fixed properly.
“The municipality refuses to come and dig to see what the problem is. They just send guys to get it fixed today, just for it to start running again tomorrow.
“Apart from the nightmare of this water flowing through the house, I’m afraid that little children playing outside might fall into the drain,” he said.
Brown added that he is really worried about his daughter because she is sick basically every day.
“I told her mother again the other day to go back to the pharmacy and get more medication; I don’t like seeing my child like this.”
He mentioned that he finally had to resort to digging a trench around his house, just to at least keep the water away from the house as much as possible.
“It is still running with quite a speed into the trench, which means that the stench and bacteria are still there.
“It also flows down into the main road.
“Whenever you ask someone in the area where Bushfig Street is, they will always point you to this direction and say it’s the street with the sewage water. It is horrible that this is what we are known for.
“We are really suffering with that drain.”
He added that his daughter is not the only one getting sick because of the sewage.
“As a community we are having endless problems because other people are getting sick too. The sewage is running through about two or three yards and this has been continuing for four or five months.”
Ward Councillor, Georgina Faldtman, said that she was aware of the problems that residents face with this drain.
“We have continuous problems with the drain in Bushfig Street and it has been fixed numerous times. I was on a site visit there the other day and it the situation is terrible but it was fixed again on Monday,” she said.
According to Faldtman, the ward has another problem with a blocked drain in Mistral Close, where five homes are affected.
“I was there on a sight visit too. The residents are extremely upset. I spoke to the municipality to help but up until now nothing has happened,” she added.
“An excavator is needed, otherwise the problem will never be solved. I call them every day of my life,” she concluded.
Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, said that the issues of bursting, spillage and blockages of sanitation infrastructure is primarily caused by vandalism, throwing foreign objects into drains and the theft of manhole covers.
“We call upon our residents to work with us and report these incidents by calling 0800 205050.
“We try to respond to all reported incidents in the quickest possible time,” he said.
