Sol denies sewage hazard allegations

Big rocks, blankets, bicycle tyres, etc, are just some of the objects found in the sewer system,” said Riet.

She stated further that the problem of sewage overflow at Gogga Pump Station was due the mechanical failure of the main transfer pumps (screw pumps) as a result of rocks and other foreign objects that are thrown into the sewerage system. “This is, however, receiving attention, and the pump station should be back in operation within the next two weeks.”

Liebenberg pointed out that residents from the Platfontein area, who solely depend on farming for survival, had to witness the growing dam of raw sewage affecting the biodiversity of the farms in the area. This, she said, was a result of Gogga Pump Station overflowing with raw sewage that is spilling into the farming land.

Liebenberg added that it was no secret that all sewage stations within the Sol Plaatje Municipality were not in optimal working condition and that the infrastructure, which, despite having seen a facelift of over R300 million in maintenance upgrades, had gone to waste.

Riet stated in response that while the municipality was doing its best to protect the facilities, vandalism of an “abnormal stature” was crippling the efforts.

Problems with operations and the subsequent flooding of sewage into the veld around Gogga Pump Station was first exposed by the

DFA in January 2016, with the municipality, by September 2016, describing the situation as “an emergency”.

By September 2016 massive dams of raw sewage had formed in Platfontein, raising concerns among residents about the effects this would have on their health.

These dams were formed after blockages at the Gogga Pump Station forced raw sewage to run for several kilometres into the veld, underneath Barkly Road and as far as Platfontein.

At the time, criminal charges were laid against Sol Plaatje Municipality by civil rights group Afriforum, who accused the municipality of failing to address “serious pollution” caused by sewage flowing into the veld from the Gogga Pump Station for more than two years.

In May 2018, then executive mayor of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Mangaliso Matika, announced a R31 million project to upgrade the Gogga Pump Station. It was reported at that stage that raw sewage had been spilling into the veld for several years.

The project was to include the construction of a 3.15 kilometre