Since 2023, the City’s sewer maintenance team has cleared 629 sewer blockages in Dunoon. The majority of these blockages are caused by rags, rubble and foreign objects being flushed down the toilet or dumped in the sewer system via street drains. The City is calling on the residents to help keep the sewer network free flowing by disposing of waste correctly.
Dunoon is a hotspot area for sewer blockages, which are largely preventable. The high frequency of service requests registered in the area and the type of foreign waste removed from the sewer system, raises concerns about deliberate and irresponsible behaviour.
Once a sewer pipe is blocked, the likelihood of sewage spilling over onto the street is inevitable. This overflow will often continue until a service request is logged and the City is able to find the object causing the blockage and remove it, to restore the system’s functionality.
During the 2023/2024 financial year, 348 sewer blockages were attended to in Dunoon, and the following year 281 blockages were recorded. Approximately 70% of these blockages were caused by foreign objects, such as sanitary products, domestic litter, building rubble, animal carcasses and rags.
‘Clearing sewer blockages has become an extremely costly, repetitive cycle, which often requires City teams to return to the same pipeline to clear a new blockage, within days of attending to the initial service request.
‘It will take a collaborative effort by local residents, supported by the City, to change their waste disposal habits and break the cycle,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
To sustainably reduce sewer overflows, infrastructure needs to be left intact once repaired and used responsibly. Pipes and manholes must remain clear to allow sewage to flow through the system towards pump stations and wastewater treatment plants.
As part of proactive efforts, the City has installed sand traps at strategic locations to limit the amount of foreign objects entering the sewer system, which are serviced every second day. On average, about 11 tonnes (or 11 000 kgs) of waste is extracted from the sand traps consisting of sand, foreign objects and rags on a monthly basis.
What residents can do to help reduce sewer overflows:
- Don’t flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Anything else will block the pipes. For more tips, see www.capetown.gov.za/blocked-sewers.
- Use the City’s solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste, not drains.
- Report sewer blockages and overflows using one of the City’s official channels so they can be cleared in a reasonable timeframe.
- Report vandalism to the sewage reticulation system and stolen or missing sewer manhole covers.
- Use the City’s drop-off facilities to get rid of recyclables. See the City’s drop-offs: https://bit.ly/3mhagVh
‘Residents of Dunoon are reminded that there is a detrimental impact of misusing the sewer system. Blockages and overflows also tend to increase during winter, when heavy rain raises wastewater volumes in the sewer network. Once blocked, it can quickly lead to an overflow, leaving streets in residential areas exposed to sewage until the foreign objects are found and removed from the sewer network.
‘Incorrect waste disposal leads to serious risks to public health and safety, and harms the environment. We appeal to residents to find alternatives which protect the sewer network so that it can function as it should, and Dunoon can reap the benefits of a reliable sewer service,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
To log water and sanitation service requests:
- WhatsApp 060 018 1505
- Online www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests
- Email water@capetown.gov.za
- SMS 31373 (maximum 160 characters. Standard rates apply)
- Call 0860 103 089
- Visit a City walk-in centre (see www.capetown.gov.za/facilities to find the one closest to you)
