THE drain systems are becoming dumping sites as some residents flush foreign objects.
On Thursday, 19 October, the Ekurhuleni Municipality launched operation Siyakhuculula Manje-Namhlanje at Nhlapo Section in Katlehong.
The operation was led by the MMC for Water, Sanitation and Energy Councillor Thembi Msane.
She rolled her sleeves and joined in cleaning the sewer system in the area through the drain rodding process.
The city wants to eradicate sewer spillages across Ekurhuleni.
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The MMC raised her concern about some of the stuff found during the cleaning process, which included car tyres, tree bark and mattresses.
“The campaign aims to restore dignity to communities because no one should live in an area where sewerage spillages are a norm.
“The debris from the manholes are items that either accidentally slipped into the lines or were illegally dumped by people unfamiliar or unconcerned with the damage to the municipal infrastructure. The latter is a big concern because we need communities on board to help prevent blockages," she said.
The city attends to about 5 000 sewer complaints monthly and spends almost R364 million yearly on sewer maintenance.
This includes discarding foreign objects from the system identified as the cause of many blockages.
