The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department has received numerous complaints this rainy season of sewers overflowing on properties across the city. This is as a result of illegal stormwater connections or discharges to the sewerage system made by some residents, says the Department, according to a statement released on Monday 26 August 2013.

“As the wet weather once again arrives in Cape Town, we need all residents to act responsibly and with haste to remove all stormwater connections from their local sewers. This is critical to prevent flooding and health hazards for themselves, their communities, and the environment,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg.

According to the statement, “the Water and Sanitation Department would like to remind the residents of Cape Town that failure to remove the illegal stormwater connections and discharges from their local sewers places them in direct contravention with the City’s Stormwater and Wastewater by-laws and they are therefore eligible for a fine.”

Sonnenberg explains that the sewerage systems across the city is made up of a network designed for collecting wastewater, not stormwater, from premises connected to this system to the regional wastewater treatment works in terms of the licence granted by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.  Hydraulic overloads caused by unwanted stormwater ingress results in the washout of the biomass required to maintain the treatment works’ compliance with this licence and is therefore prohibited by the by-laws.

The correct procedure for stormwater discharge is to ensure that the property has the means of conveying the excess stormwater to the roadside where it will flow into the stormwater system. The stormwater consisting of rain and seepage water ordinarily collects in canals and rivers, ultimately discharging to vleis, lakes and the sea. It is therefore also important that this water source remains unpolluted.

“We appeal to residents to refrain from placing items such as rags, sticks, rubble, cement bags, plastics and fats into the sewers either via the onsite toilets or by lifting and removing sewer or manhole covers for this purpose. Residents are reminded that these unwanted items can safely or comfortably be disposed of via the means provided by our Solid Waste Management Department,” said Councillor Sonnenberg.