| Booming development in the central city is set to cause the stressed
sewerage infrastructure to collapse if plans to deal with the impending
crisis aren't implemented.
The central city is expected to have about 2 000 new housing units
by the end of next year, and the N2 Gateway Project will deliver about
4 000 units in District Six. Another major housing development is planned
for Culemborg.
Vela VKE, the company that compiled the report earlier this year for
the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), has already
handed over its report on the state of the sewerage system to the city
council.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The report says that in the central city "the lack of enforcement
of regulations to control grease traps and limit stormwater inflow has
resulted in operational problems resulting in blockages, sewerage smells,
overflows and building flooding".
"The impact of the proposed developments of the new central city
residences, Culemborg and District Six on the sewerage system must be
hydraulically analysed to identify capacity constraints so that system
improvements can be planned and implemented timeously," the report
states.
It also says the city needs to schedule structural repairs, rehabilitation
and replacements because the sewerage pipes are up to a 100 years old.
Dereck Bock, the chief operations officer for the CCID, said: "The
bottom line is that urgent upgrading needs to take place very soon or
else council will have to foot a much higher repair bill.
"We have already had complaints from property management companies
that raw sewage is being pushed out of the manholes in the basements
of their buildings."
The city's water services director, Sipho Mosai, said they were examining
the report to determine the implications.
"We welcomed the (report's) suggestions... (and) are going to
form partnerships... (to deal) with these challenges. We are talking
to the private sector... because we want to remain open minded,"
said Mosai.
Concerns raised in the report, include:
- The spigot and socket joints of the adjoining clay sewerage pipes
have deteriorated, which could lead to major groundwater infiltration,
major exfiltration, blockages, root infestation and eventually pipe
collapse.
- The sewer pipes were last inspected 15 years ago.
- The inflow of stormwater, roots and silt could block the pipes causing
sewage overflow.
|
Newsletter:
3 February 2012 to 10 February 2012 - Krugersdorp, Gauteng, South Africa
