Swartklip Road sewer pipeline maliciously vandalised, causing continuous overflows
02 April 2024
As the dumping of foreign objects in the Swartklip Road sewer pipeline persists, the City’s Water and Sanitation (WS) Directorate perseveres in the ongoing battle to clear repeated blockages, raising suspicions of deliberate sabotage.
Residents near the Montrose Park and Swartklip Road sewer pipelines have been grappling with consistent sewer overflows, largely due to the dumping of various foreign objects into the pipeline.
The WS maintenance team continues to respond promptly to unblock the pipelines, while also trying to mitigate the issue by raising manholes to prevent objects from entering the system. Despite these measures, blockages persist. In an attempt to deter further interference, lockable covers have been installed on critical manholes. However, this did not dissuade vandals from resorting to cracking the concrete around the covers to gain access.
The frequency of recurring blockages suggests deliberate attempts to obstruct the pipeline. During the latest clean-up operation, workers removed large boulders dumped into the manhole, which required considerable manpower. Items such as motor vehicle seats and pillows were also retrieved, raising suspicions.
Illegal dumping into the sewer network severely affects communities in the immediate surroundings, who are forced to endure the consequences of sewer overflows.
The City's priority is to resolve this issue and restore normal functionality of the Swartklip sewer pipeline.
'We urge residents to collaborate with us in addressing this issue by reporting any incidents or observations of dumping into the sewer pipeline immediately. Residents can call on local law enforcement if they witness any damage being done to the raised manholes. Together we can work towards safeguarding infrastructure which performs a critical function and resolve this problem,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
