The Pinehaven sewage pump station in the Mogale City Local Municipality (Krugersdorp, Magaliesburg, Muldersdrift) is rapidly turning into a full-scale health and environmental disaster.
Within just one week, sewage spills occurred twice after two of the three pumps failed. The Municipality is currently pumping out the sewage and transporting it to the Percy Steward pump station. The damaged pumps have been sent away for repairs, which will take weeks. In addition, some pipelines have also been damaged.
Meanwhile, properties in Pinehaven are frequently flooded during these spills, with sewage flowing into homes.
This is nothing new, though. Pinehaven has been plagued by regular sewage spills for years, resulting in severe pollution of wetlands, drains and groundwater. Residents live with the unbearable stench and danger of disease transmission every day.
The current “quick fix” approach – a temporary pump here, some patching there – is not a sustainable solution. It merely conceals the underlying decay of critical infrastructure and causes the same crisis to flare up again and again.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) put the matter on the agenda of the Oversight Committee on Water, Power and Sewage Networks, demanding that the Municipality intervene at once by either replacing or properly repairing pumps and pipelines in addition to conducting a thorough investigation into the causes of the constant failures.
It is equally important to upgrade the facility in the long term to prevent sewage spills in the future.
Temporary quick fixes and emergency measures are not acceptable.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep a close eye on the situation and inform the community of any further developments.
Residents’ health and conserving the environment should always be a top priority.
