GEORGE NEWS - An indigent Rosemoor resident, Abigail Gertse, complains that the George Municipality did not respond fast enough to her complaint of sewage water overflowing from a toilet in their house. She battled for a few days, constantly sweeping water from the house because of a blockage in the sewage system.

She says that she reported the fault to the municipality's Rosemoor office on Monday 3 July. When the George Herald arrived at the house on Wednesday after receiving a desperate call from Gertse, she was still cleaning the foul-smelling overflow out the kitchen door into the yard where the children were playing. "When I reported the complaint, I was told that we would probably wait three months for the problem to be fixed. There were officials here this morning (Wednesday), but they left again without fixing anything. It is ridiculous."

In response to a query from the newspaper, Civil Engineering Acting Director Lionel Daniels said his department received a report from the Rosemoor office on Wednesday morning (5 July) and a blockage team responded to the complaint. 

"The blockage was, however, of such a type that it could not be fixed with conventional rods. The woman at home at the time was informed a team will have to clear the blockage with the jet-machine, which was done later that same day. We regret the misinformation regarding a three-month turn-around time. It is incorrect and we will address the matter to avoid similar miscommunication in future. We will also investigate and address the delay in report and response time."

Expect a 24-hour response
Daniels said the public can expect a 24-hour response for sewerage blockages, if the information was correctly reported at the number 044 801 9262 or 044 801 6300 after hours and during weekends. "If a person reported a sewage leak at a municipal satellite office and has not received response within 24 hours, it is recommended they phone the above-mentioned numbers to confirm that the report has reached the correct department. If at all possible, a phone report is recommended and it is suggested that they request the name of the person they make the report to for future reference." 

He said that households registered as indigent (with an income of less than R4 000 a month) can receive assistance inside and outside their own property for water and sewage. "While the municipality will respond to all correctly registered water and sewerage complaints to assess and manage, water and sewerage problems inside the properties of non-indigent households are the responsibility of the property owner."

ARTICLE & PHOTO: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST

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