Sewage floods suburban homes
Residents are gatvol as problem continues
DESPITE many hours spent by municipal teams trying to resolve the problem, sewage waste has been flooding into neighbouring yards in Arboretum Extension for weeks.
And what first began as an odour and filth problem has now become a serious health issue.
The contamination affecting homes in Via Cassiandra appears to be blocked pipelines between manholes, and all attempts to stop, divert or unblock the flow with high pressure water jets have seemingly failed to achieve a permanent fix.
One homeowner said the trouble with sewage flooding her property started around 15 March, although she has been told that the problem has existed ‘for years’ at the adjoining Mango Grove street.
“We understand they cannot get to a problem manhole in Mango Grove because a tree has grown over it,” said the homeowner.
“Recent heavy rains made matters worse, and stinking sewage water from our neighbour’s yard has flooded into ours above ankle deep and entered our pool and pet area.
“At first it was just the stench that bothered us but now people are actually getting sick.
“They have tried digging trenches around our boundary walls, without managing to divert the flow, so they have been pumping standing water for the past week.”
The work teams are also throwing chlorine all over
the yard but while it has reduced the smell, is was treating the symptom rather than the cause.
By Friday, matters had improved slightly after the last water jet effort appeared to have been effective in unblocking a drain.
“But we will wait and see what happens with the predicted heavy weather,” said the homeowner, who also has the matter of damage to paving, a wall and a gate to resolve with the municipality.