The Newcastle Municipality’s technical service team stumbled upon a repulsive revelation while tackling the sewage crisis along Rooibok Avenue.
This follows residents voicing their disgust with the sewage leak, pointing fingers at the Newcastle Municipality. However, as discovered, the fault did not sit with the government entity but with someone from the public.
On Wednesday, 1 November 2023, the Municipality’s technical team unearthed a startling truth – copious amounts of congealed fat were to blame for the sewage deluge. The situation had been previously reported by Newcastillian News on Tuesday, 31 October 2023, when the team had initiated efforts to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem. Their excavation work was unfortunately hampered by adverse weather conditions.
To read more, click here.
Returning to the task at hand on Wednesday, the Municipal team employed a high pressure machine to access the sewage line, revealing the unsettling discovery. A team member shed light on the matter, stating, “A lot of fat was found in the system, and it seems that it was flushed down toilets. We cannot tell who is responsible if it was residents or nearby businesses, but it was the cause of the problem. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have made a discovery like this in Newcastle.”
The municipal employee added that the discovery would be reported to his manager, so the matter could be investigated, and the responsible person or business possibly found.
In response to this disconcerting revelation, Newcastle Municipality’s Councillor Bertie Meiring is urging residents to desist from disposing of animal fat down their toilets.
“When poured down drains, the fat cools down and becomes solid, forming obstructions. In this case, the fat became solid at the system’s junction, resulting in the overflow,” Cllr Meiring explained.
With the root of the problem now being resolved, the Newcastle Municipality is now taking steps to close the area where they excavated.
With this discovery, what are your thoughts on this issue? Be sure to share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 1
Local businesses need to find a good solution to fat disposal, otherwise this problem will recur. Used oil can be recycled perhaps? To produce biofuel, for example. There might be a business opportunity here….