The DA has pointed to the sewage spills at homes in Petrus Street, New Hillcrest, in Kimberley as the latest example of ‘the collapse of Sol Plaatje municipal infrastructure’.
THE DA has pointed to the sewage spills at homes in Petrus Street, New Hillcrest, in Kimberley as the latest example of “the collapse of Sol Plaatje municipal infrastructure”.
DA councillor Chris Whittaker pointed out this week that phase one of the Carters Glen sewage line upgrade is already two years overdue.
“Even though workers on the line improvement just left the site, giving the impression that the project was finished, the pump stations at Carters Glen and Petrus Street are still having issues. Sewage spills continue to affect the houses of residents who live next to a lengthy, open sewage canal. In addition to the offensive smell, they are also concerned about the health of their families,” said Whittaker.
The DA further claims that the Heuwelsig side of the line has been permitted to develop into a second waste site and that the gates and fence along Carters Road, where upgrade work has been done, have not been replaced.
Additionally, according to Whittaker, “someone appears to have moved into the shelter close to the Carters Glen pump.”
Whittaker said that many questions have been raised in light of recent allegations that the contract was cancelled and not completed, including why phase one of the project has taken so long to complete and why Sol Plaatje remains silent about the situation.
The DA has also called for clarification on whether the municipality, which is already in deficit, or the Department of Water and Sanitation would be responsible for covering the costs involved.
“While the condonement of seven variation orders for the Carters Glen sewage line, totalling R13 million, was on the agenda of a recent council meeting, the DA has requested that it be held in abeyance. The DA instead wants the project referred back to Sol Plaatje’s utilities and finances committees for urgent interrogation,” said Whittaker.
“The lives and properties of affected residents of New Hillcrest and Carters Glen are being destroyed by Sol Plaatje’s inability to finalise the upgrade project and resolve the sewage crisis in their wards and they deserve answers.”
Sol Plaatje municipal spokesperson Thoko Riet said that phase one of the Carters Ridge sewage pump station is currently at 90% practical completion and has been delayed due to stormwater and sewage spillage from the two pump stations, which has filled the trenches of the new pipelines.
The contractor then had to pump the water out, which significantly delayed the project, said Riet.
According to Riet, the cost of de-watering the area is high and the variation order costs have been submitted to the council for notification of the challenges before they are approved.
“The contractor has removed himself from the site until the variation order is approved,” she confirmed.
“The purpose of the project is to build a new pump station that will decommission the Carters Glen and Hillcrest pump stations as well as provide additional capacity to unlock development in the area behind Gariep Mediclinic.
“The contractor for phase two has already been appointed and construction of the pump station building will start in January 2023 after the construction break,” Riet said.
