City trying to improve residents’ lot

THE ARTICLE “Masiphumelele residents up in arms” (Cape Argus, August 14) refers.

The roll out of portable flush toilets (PFTs) was done in consultation with recognised community representatives at a recent community meeting/ walkabout, at which the Human Rights Commission was present.

The City is aware communities prefer flush toilets, but we cannot provide additional sewerage infrastructure in the settlement as it is situated on a wetland. As a result, residents further away from the communal toilets sometimes relieve themselves using containers they then empty into canals. Furthermore, sewerage pipes often become blocked due to disposal of inappropriate items such as rags/sanitary pads/general litter, which then causes overflows.

The City cannot install additional sewerage infrastructure so the roll out of PFTs was suggested, and community representatives agreed. PFTs store waste in sealed tanks which are then regularly and safely emptied by the City.

As a response to overcrowding, the City increased cleansing and maintenance functions. Cleaning of the stormwater canals takes place almost daily, and the City increased door-to-door refuse-collection services to seven days a week. Some residents are, however, using the canals as a general dumpsite for food waste and other refuse.

Furthermore, the City is undertaking a pilot project to divert stormwater from the canals into the sewerage system. The plan for this pilot has been completed and costing is under way. The pilot will form part of the wash-house structure. The aim is to improve the quality of effluent that drains into the wetland.

There is no perfect solution for the challenges faced in Masiphumelele, but the City is doing everything it can to address the effects of overcrowding.

We need residents to understand that the provision of alternative sanitation does not mean we are not prioritising them. It is rather the case that this is the only safe and legal option available to improve conditions.

Many communities who are similarly affected by legal or topographical constraints in terms of the installation of sewerage infrastructure have found PFTs to be a convenient and hygienic topup service for use during the night or for those who have difficulty walking to full-flush toilets, and they can go a long way to improving environmental health and safety in the area.

COUNCILLOR XANTHEA LIMBERG Mayoral committee member of informal settlements, water and waste services; and energy, City of Cape Town