Blocked drains cause stink in Walvis

Fed up Walvis Bay residents from the Lagoon area are meeting with the municipality’s sewage team today in the hopes of finally resolving recurrent problems of blocked drains and abnormally high sewage levels, which began nearly eight months ago. Residents say the problem has become unbearable and needs to urgently be resolved. Since November last year, many of the affected households have flushed thousands of Namibian dollars down the drain in private attempts to fix the problem and handle the sewage overflow to no avail. A lagoon area home owner, who preferred to speak anonymously, told Namibian Sun this week: “It just never stops. And it’s not just the toilets. It’s the drains in the kitchen and the bathroom too. They get filled up at least twice a week. I’ve spent thousands on drain cleaners and I personally have hired two plumbers to investigate the problem, but they say they can’t do anything, that it is the municipality’s problem.”Frustrated residents say that although the municipality has repeatedly stated that they are working “tirelessly to reduce the levels of sewage” and are “exploring options to find a permanent situation”, these statements no longer hold water.The municipality has been regularly praised for quickly responding to complaints of new blockages, and for sending pump trucks and technicians to help, but many say the problem has persisted for far too long and needs to be solved urgently. Others have raised concerns about health.“It’s an absolute mess with the toilets and drains over-flowing and clogged up. And it is unhealthy,” a resident informed the municipality in May. Homeowners have also been frustrated that the municipality has also at times informed residents that the municipality is responsible to clear blockages in the sewer mains, but will charge a fee to unblock drainage systems on private property. Enough is enough In numerous mails sent to municipal technicians and department heads over the past few months, the mounting frustration with the on-going problem, the lack of solutions and explanations, are noticeable. “That is it. We have begged, we have crawled, we have spent money on plumbers, and we are spending money on flushing toilets, four to five times a day. It is over now. We as residents of the lagoon area are fed-up with the situation,” an affected resident told the municipality last week in written correspondence. Following increasing calls for the town to fix the problem as well as recent media enquiries, the municipality has arranged to meet with all affected residents at a meeting with department heads and technicians today. Homeowners were informed that the meeting will include a “mini tour where the general manager heading the responsible department, John Esterhuizen, will give an elaborate overview and technical details pertaining to the situation.”It is unclear how many households have been affected by the on-going problem, but a resident said that he knows of at least eight to nine households that have experienced regular drain blockages, and that more homes could be experiencing similar problems. Although those who spoke to Namibian Sun live mostly in the central parts of the town and the lagoon area, sources yesterday said they have also heard complaints from residents in other areas, including Narraville, who too have struggled with sewage and drain blockages in their neighbourhoods. Walvis Bay respondsThe municipality this week confirmed the problem, admitting that the town has “experienced higher than normal sewer levels in the lagoon area and at the sewage collection point at the pump station.”Spokesperson Anita Kaihiva said private residences as well as “key sewer collectors from food establishments are also blocked and or restricted due to fat or oil traps not being cleaned regularly.”Kaihiva told Namibian Sun that the delays in fixing problems can be lined to the origin of blockages not being found or that drain systems are not cleaned early enough. She said however that blockages have been found and removed “in the biggest area” of the town and sewer levels have thus subsided. She explained further that overall maintenance of the sewage system in Walvis Bay is challenging because the town “is quite flat and the sewer system is below sea level in many places.”Moreover, because the town’s infrastructure is quite old, especially in the older suburbs, a sewer master plan was approved by council “that addresses the refurbishment of the old system to cope with the growth of the town as well.”She said work has already commenced in the most critical areas, and the lagoon area, from where most of the complaints arise at the moment, is scheduled for rehabilitation and repair too. As part of tackling the sewage-related issues, municipal teams have conducted “on-going cleaning of the sewer systems and the improvement of the current pump capacity in town to take sewage away at a faster rate,” she said. In the long term “a new pump station or upgrade of the current collection and pumping system” is on the cards. She said in this regard the municipality has budgeted to begin work on investigating and designing possible new systems. JANA-MARI SMITH

Blocked drains cause stink in Walvis

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-01-24

Please login to leave a comment

Blocked drains cause stink in Walvis

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-01-24

Please login to leave a comment

Login