A Blackheath-based business says overflowing sewage drains are costing them customers while they are getting little help from the City.
Masnoona Abrahams, an employee of Specialised Panel Manufacturing in Electron Road, said the problems with the poo water began on 11 March.
“We have four drains around our building and all of them are overflowing for weeks now so you can imagine what sort of problems we have,” she says.
“Our walk-in customers do not want to come here because of the smell and we have to send staff home who get sick so it’s affecting productivity.”
She says they’ve logged multiple calls with the City’s sanitation department which has led to a few on-site inspections but no long-term solution.
“The team foreman advised us that the matter will be taken care of as they would have to make use of a digger loader to unblock the drains,” she says.
“After several phone calls with reference numbers, we are still sitting with the same problem of the sewer drains overflowing and creating a very strong stench which could be a serious health issue.
“To date, we have had no response or correspondence from the department as to when this issue will be sorted out.”
Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien says the overflow is caused by oil being dumped in the nearby sewer drains.
“City officials followed the line until Sunbird Drive (over 2km away), where they found an empty manhole in the bushes, but their truck couldn’t access it, hence a team is on site today (Wednesday) to do level milling.”
He said while the City continues to clear up blocked drains, overflows will continue to happen as long as misuse or vandalism of the sewers occurs.