Tyres, rags, clothes, buckets full of teaspoons and forks, car parts and even a TV are some of the weird and not-so-wonderful things removed by the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate to clear Cape Town’s blocked sewer pipes.
Also read: Final stages of repair underway for bulk sewer pipe on Prince George Drive
In a statement issued yesterday, the CoCT said that about R417 million had been spent in the last financial year to help reduce and tackle blockages in Cape Town’s sewer system.
This includes proactive measures such as the City’s Winter Preparedness programme to jet clean the sewer pipelines and reactive cleaning costs, to clear sewer blockages as a result of illegal dumping and misuse of the sewer system.
Recently spoons and forks were removed from a sewer in Mfuleni. Also, on 21 June, a mattress was pulled out of the sewer in Lavender Hill using specialised cleaning equipment.
About four hours of effort through machine and manpower was required to manoeuvre and then extract the mattress.
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‘We all need to be mindful of what we do with our waste. Our toilets, sewer pipes and drains should not be treated like dirt bins or wishing wells. Waste that gets into the sewer pipe will block it and put strain on and damage the infrastructure related to the conveyance and treatment of sewage across the city such as pump stations which are very costly to repair.
‘While the City is actioning proactive measures to help reduce overflows, we also appeal to residents and community leaders to use the available resources on the City’s website to join in efforts to raise awareness about this issue and what all of us can to do prevent sewer blockages,’ said Mayco member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
‘The reality is the City cannot practically police what residents flush down the toilet or wash down their sinks, or put into drains, so it is up to communities to take responsibility. Let us work together to prevent sewer blockages.’
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Picture: Supplied / CoCT