Manholes spouting fountains of sewage.

It was discovered that years of continuous raw sewage spillage on the shore into the Hartbeespoort Dam had caused a compacted sewage bank stretching over 100 metres.
Residents requested urgent intervention from the Madibeng Municipality. At the time Madibeng Municipality spokesperson Tumelo Tshabala said that the contractor was sourcing material so that work could start. “We are waiting for an excavator. The sludge will be redirected to a trench from where it will be pumped out. Rehabilitation work will start soon,” Tshabalala said at the time.
However, the area was a shocking sight this week. Hundreds of water birds were wading in dams of sewage that flowed into Hartbeespoort Dam. Two newly constructed manholes spouted fountains of sewage into the wetland and dam. The compacted sewage sludge had not been removed.
Madibeng Municipality did not respond to enquiries about the situation.
VF Plus ward councillor, Elsa Lourens contacted the technical team at the municipality and was told that the nearby Venice Village pump station “was not functioning properly” as a result of a cable fault causing the pump “not pumping in the right direction.”
Kormorant has reported the spillage to the Department of Water and Sanitation and Magalies Water, which was appointed as the implementing agent for the Hartbeespoort Dam Remediation Project. Spokesperson David Magae said Magalies Water would investigate the situation and provide feedback.
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation Mandla Mathebula said the department was looking into the matter.