The City of Cape Town has received a memorandum of demands submitted on behalf of Site B, Khayelitsha residents, during a demonstration in the area this morning, regarding sewer overflows and blockages. A formal response will be provided to the community within the stipulated timeframe. It is however important to emphasise that a collective effort between the City’s Water and Sanitation Department and residents is required to achieve a meaningful, long-term solution to address sewer overflows in Site B and Site C in Khayelitsha. The City will continue to invest in infrastructure and attend to service requests, while asking that residents report cases of illegal dumping into the system, and known culprits behind theft and vandalism at pump stations.

Did you know?

The City’s Water and Sanitation team clears and cleans over 300 sewer blockages and overflows a day in areas across Cape Town, including Khayelitsha.

Approximately 75% of these cases city-wide are the result of the misuse of the sewer system, where objects such as rags, builders rubble, nappies, feminine hygiene products, litter, fats and oils are dumped into manholes or enter via sinks or flushed down toilets. Khayelitsha is a hotspot area.

More than 4700 sewer blockages and overflows have been cleared in the Khayelitsha area, including Site B, since January 2021. The majority of these would not have occurred if residents used the sewer correctly.

The R6 million refurbishment of the Site B pump station, which was severely vandalised in February, will be completed in October, and enhanced security measures have already been installed.

Sewage pump stations are an important component of the sewer network. The majority of the system works on gravity, but in cases where the sewage must flow uphill, pump stations maintain the flow to wastewater treatment plants. In this part of Khayelitsha, the sewer system gravity flows from 8 000 Site C and B households to the Site B pump station and further gets pumped to the nearest wastewater treatment plant.

Collective efforts between the City’s Water and Sanitation Department and residents is the long-term solution to address sewer overflows in Site B and Site C in Khayelitsha.

‘Dumping into sewers remains the cause of the majority of blockages/overflows. The City clears these blockages as they are reported, however to solve the problem completely, communities need to be made aware of what can and cannot be safely flushed or washed down the drain.

‘While the City is making every effort to maintain infrastructure, to create capacity for population growth, and clear blockages and overflows, residents must assist by only disposing of appropriate items via sinks and toilets, as well as reporting those responsible for vandalism of City infrastructure and attacks on staff. Over the next two financial years, the department is planning to upgrade various sections of sewage infrastructure in Site B and Site C, Khayelitsha aimed at providing additional capacity within the network, but this will not solve the overflow problem unless residents use the new infrastructure for its appropriate use,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.

The planned upgrades include:

• Upsizing and diverting of sewer mains in Solomon Tshuku
• Upsizing of sewer mains in Njongo Avenue, Idada Avenue, as well as Sulani and Nyathi Roads
• Refurbishment of Site B sewer pump station is scheduled for completion at the end of October 2021. This pump station services about 8 000 households in Site C and a part of Site B. It had to be completely reconstructed because it was so severely vandalised in February, that it could not function, resulting in major overflows and blockages in the network.

Pipe cracking of sewer mains in Mnqcunube Street, an unobtrusive construction method of upsizing a pipeline with no excavation required

• Complete and perform remedial work at the N2, Site C site. (Water and sewer pipelines have already been installed. Communal ablutions facilities still to be installed).

Ongoing efforts

Teams are clearing sewer blockages and overflows daily in Site B. In some cases, they have to be escorted into the area by Law Enforcement as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our staff and City vehicles, who have been targeted by opportunists when attending to service requests. The operational teams also engage with Ward Councillors to assist with accompanying them when necessary.

In addition to the Site B pump station being refurbished, the following actions continue to take place to minimise the impact on residents in Site C and Site B:

• As a contingency measure, mobile pumps have been provided to assist with minimising the overflows until the mechanical work on site at the pump station is completed.
• Proactive cleaning of sewer lines is done in this area due to high levels of blockages, however, there are very high levels of dumping of objects and refuse in the sewer system.
• Cleaning of main sewer pipelines in response to service requests that are logged.
• Replacing reported damaged and stolen manholes covers.

Residents are assured that the City remains committed to delivering services to them, and the teams will attend to their service requests as soon as possible.

Let’s work together

‘Collective efforts between the City and the community are key to addressing the chronic problem of sewer blockages and overflows to ensure a safe, healthy environment for residents.

‘The City’s Water and Sanitation team is monitoring the refurbishment of Site B pump station and its operations closely to ensure it functions at the highest capacity possible, but this capacity will be significantly reduced if dumping into the system continues.

In addition, the operational teams monitor the area and are continuing to clear sewer blockages, which cause overflows, and will continue to do so in efforts to minimise the impact on residents

‘Furthermore, the City will continue to investigate and implement contingency measures where necessary and possible, while prioritising the safety of our staff, who have been increasingly targeted by opportunists during the course of their work. Residents should be aware that it is not possible to provide effective contingencies for current levels of dumping into the system. Sewers must be used correctly to see significant improvement.

‘At the same time, residents can help prevent sewer blockages by only disposing of human waste, toilet paper and grey water via sinks and toilets in their homes and communities. Any other materials, such as rags, oils and rubble into the system, will cause overflows due to blockages and damage infrastructure.

‘Residents are also encouraged to report information about vandalism of City infrastructure to SAPS so they can investigate. We need the law abiding majority to be our eyes and ears as we push ahead with service delivery,’ said Alderman Limberg.

Residents can help prevent sewer blockages and overflows

Generally (avoidable) blockages remain the primary cause of sewer overflows:

• Residents are reminded they can help prevent such sewer blockages and overflows by disposing of unwanted materials using the appropriate solid waste collections and disposal services.
• Only human waste, toilet paper and grey water should be disposed via sinks and toilets in their homes and communities. It is illegal for residents to place any another materials into the system because it causes overflows due to blockages.
• If residents have any recyclables, electronics, garage waste and builder’s rubble that they need to dispose of, please make use of the City’s drop-off facilities.

Report vandalism and log service requests

Tampering, theft and vandalism of essential electricity infrastructure, is seen as a priority crime due to the extremely negative impact on the rights of communities, and as per Section 2 of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act (Act 18 0f 2015), imprisonment not exceeding 30 years and fines not exceeding R100 million are possible, when found guilty.

To report vandalism in progress, call:

• 107 from a landline
• 021 480 7700 from a cellphone
• the local SAPS.

Source: City Of Cape Town