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GEORGE NEWS - Raw sewage landed in the Garden Route Dam again on the weekend of 22 February because of the Eden sewerage pump station overflowing. A huge upgrade of the pump station, that is 40 years old, is underway.
A video of sewage flowing into the dam was shared on social media by a highly upset resident.
"Does anyone know how many litres of sewage ran into the dam before it was stopped? This is not something new, but has been happening for years and the municipality knows about it.
"We pay our taxes. They have to make a plan now and do their jobs and sort this out," said the resident, who wished to remain anonymous.
According to George municipal head of communications Chantèl Edwards, the overflow was caused by a pump in the main pump station tripping and the emergency pump in the emergency overflow pond simultaneously tripping and becoming blocked.
"As a result, the pump station sump overflowed into the emergency pond, which could not be emptied back into the system. A suction tanker was deployed to empty the emergency pond, but unfortunately, a minor spillage occurred for a short period."
She said the pump station has a fully functional generator that is capable of powering all pumps and associated equipment.
"Diesel levels are maintained, and the unit is regularly inspected by the municipality’s operational staff. The issue over the weekend was not related to load-shedding. Ongoing construction activities at the pump station are being managed to ensure they do not impact operations. Mechanical upgrades will only be carried out once the civil works are completed," said Edwards.
The pump station is more than 40 years old and its pumps have deteriorated mainly due to the discharge of residual sludge from the water treatment works (WTW), the presence of coarse grit in the sewage, and the large inflow volume, especially during excessive rainfall.
"Illegal storm water discharge into the sewer network remains an ongoing enforcement issue," said Edwards. "Some residents connect their roof gutters to their drains, directing storm water into the sewage pump station instead of allowing it to flow into the storm water system. The discharge of residual sludge from the WTW will be discontinued once the residual treatment facility at the new WTW is completed."
The municipality provided a breakdown of the current construction activities:
• General refurbishment of mechanical and electrical components in the pump station, including the installation of new pipes, valves, instrumentation, and electrical systems.
• Installation of three new pump sets, which will be easier to unblock in emergencies and require less maintenance.
• Upgrading the inlet works, including extending the civil structures and replacing the manually cleaned screens with mechanically operated ones. This will improve the efficiency of solid removal from incoming sewage, ultimately protecting the pumps.
• Replacing the old asbestos cement sewer rising main with a uPVC pipe, which will enhance the efficiency of the pump system.
• Construction of a large concrete emergency overflow tank to improve the station's capacity to handle overflow situations.
VIDEO: Watch sewage flowing into the dam:
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