A family in Athlone says they are siek en sat of living in poo water caused by a broken sewage pipe that has been overflowing since 30 December.
Janine Seals from Kewtown says it has been more than a week and nobody has come to fix the issue after logging multiple complaints.
She says: “It is sad that me and the community had to start the new year off in this manner and our health is at risk.
“In my house are my nine-year-old daughter and my mother of 69 years, we have suffered loss of appetite and have rashes between our legs.
“I am suffering from diarrhoea, the house has an awful smell, we cannot cook or take a decent bath.
“It is disappointing that the City has not done its job and people are getting sick due to lack of service. The call centre keeps saying it’s sent the complaint to the depot but no one has come.”
Janine says that they were informed that the issue is due to the damage to a sewage pipe that happened on 14 December.
The City’s Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, says the sewer overflow is linked to a collapse on the sewer line in Jan Smuts Drive, which was caused by foreign objects, resulting in a break in the pipe.
He says: “The team has managed to get the sewer line to flow for the time being, which should alleviate the overflows currently experienced in the area.
“A more comprehensive repair will be undertaken soon, and over-pumping [bypassing of the blockage] will be implemented, which will assist in relieving the affected network.”
marsha.dean@inl.co.za