Residents should take responsibilty to keep their sewerage systems clean and cannot always blame the City of Cape Town.
That is the message from the City’s Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien. He commented after a resident from Blue Downs complained about the drains in his yard constantly overflowing. “This area does see frequent sewer blockages due to abuse of the network, when foreign objects are thrown into the system. Sewer systems are designed to only convey human waste, greywater and toilet paper. Any other solid substances will eventually cause blockages and overflows. The sewer system should only be used in the way it was designed to function to profoundly reduce the number of blockages and overflows.
“The City has education and awareness campaigns about illegal dumping into the sewer system, including our Bin it, Don’t Block It Campaign. (The leaflets are available in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.) We appeal to residents and community leaders to use the available resources on the City’s website to join in efforts to raise awareness.
“At the end of the day, the City cannot practically police what residents flush down the toilet or wash down their sinks, so it is up to communities to take responsibility. Let us work together to prevent sewer blockages,” says Badroodien.
- Don’t flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Anything else will block the pipes. For more tips, see www.capetown.gov.za/blocked-sewers.
- Use the City’s solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste, not drains.
- Report sewer blockages and overflows using one of the City’s official channels.
- Report vandalism to the sewage reticulation system and stolen or missing sewer manhole covers via landline: 107; cellphone: 021 480 7700 or online: www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests.
- Use the City’s drop-off facilities to get rid of any solid waste. See the City’s drop-offs for recyclables: https://bit.ly/3mhagVh.
- Please report water and sanitation-related service requests, such as a sewer overflow, to one of the following channels:
- WhatsApp 060 018 1505.
- Online www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests
- Email water@capetown.gov.za
- SMS 31373 (maximum 160 characters. Standard rates apply).
- Call 0860 103 089.
- Visit a City walk-in centre (see www.capetown.gov.za/facilities to find the one closest to you).
Visit the City’s website for tips on how residents can help keep our sewers clear: www.capetown.gov.za/blocked-sewers
