Disgusted resident faces raw sewage problem

Families in Bloemendal are desperate for help from the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality as raw sewage continually flows through their yards. 

Frustrated resident Maureen Daniels,76, from Bardien Avenue , who has been living in her home for more than 45 years, said the sewage  started flowing early in 2020 and since then the family had been battling a constant stench and raw waste on their property.

“I don’t know how many times we have informed the officials about the drain, the way it smells is disgusting, sometimes I feel like I could collapse,” she said.  

Daniels, who lives with her 49-year-old son, said she was a cancer patient and the drain was making her illness worse.

“In my yard, we have two drains and the one which is leaking raw sewage serves the community, not me.

“All I  want is the municipality to remove it as it is right in front of my kitchen door,” she said.

She said it  was difficult to cook and the stench had spread throughout the house.

Disgruntled daughter Bridget Smith, who wrote to Metro Matters, said since she reported the sewage she has been receiving sluggish responses from the relevant people at the municipality.  

“My mother is so vulnerable and directly exposed to diseases at this moment with all the faeces and urine,” she said.

She said  the situation was made worse by all the flies at  meal times.

“It is revolting, appalling to say the least. Why do we pay rates, taxes, sewerage services?” she asked.

Across the road from Daniels family, the Baartman family is contending with a fresh water leak.

Bianca Baartman said the pipes burst in November 2019 after constantly leaking for several years.

“This is frustrating. Every year we encounter the same problem.

“We have little children at the house who play with water and any other dirt that streams with it,” she said.

She said they had called the municipality numerous times with the response being that the complaint would be escalated. 

“The leak is becoming worse each day and now we don’t know what to do.

“We are also worried by the litres of clean water that are being wasted while we struggle with drought in this metro,” she said. 

When contacted, municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said: “We are aware of this query, it will be attended to tomorrow.”

Several attempts were made to reach Mniki to clarify his statements about which house he meant but the attempts were unsuccessful.