Recent heavy rainfall has led to water table problems afflicting cemeteries across the city in recent weeks. The City’s Recreation and Parks Department said that it is addressing the challenges, with a particular focus on Maitland Cemetery, which has been severely impacted.
Last weekend, Maitland Cemetery became inaccessible due to very high water tables, resulting in the relocation of 56 funerals to Welmoed Cemetery.
Operational staff at Maitland had no choice but to decline some requests for reopening private graves for a second interment, as certain sections of the cemetery had water levels within a metre of the surface.
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Councillor Patricia van der Ross, the City’s mayoral committee member for community services and health, emphasised the department’s commitment to transparency in addressing these challenges. She said that undertakers are notified of the situation when making bookings, with a clear understanding of the space constraints caused by the winter water table.
Councillor van der Ross said that families are encouraged to visit the cemetery to inspect the reopening test holes, giving them the opportunity to assess the issue and explore alternative cemeteries if needed.
The City stated that table levels typically peak around the end of September, with saturated soils causing water to accumulate on the surface due to poor drainage in impermeable soils. Rapid drainage is not possible, as the water returns to the grave as quickly as it is pumped out.
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Over the next two months, the following plan of action will be implemented in Maitland and other affected cemeteries, where applicable, to mitigate water table problems:
- Identify dry pockets within the cemetery for potential new grave sites.
- Create additional burial space at the edges and ends of older burial blocks.
- Narrow some gravel roads to convert them into footpaths, thereby increasing available burial space.
- Promote the use of Mausoleum Crypts.
- Encourage cremation where religious and cultural beliefs permit.
- Support second burials in family graves unaffected by the water table.
- Demolish buildings to remove foundations and expand burial areas.
In addition to Maitland, several cemeteries still have private grave spaces available, including Klip Road (Grassy Park), Plumstead, Welmoed, Wallacedene, Rusthoff and Atlantis.
Councillor van der Ross acknowledged the difficult circumstances faced by families during this time and expressed the City’s commitment to resolving these issues, urging residents to be patient as they work towards solutions.
‘We realise it’s a difficult time for loved ones, but we are doing everything we can and asking residents to bear with us as we work to alleviate these issues,’ she said.
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