Arcadia Sewer Project in Utter Disarray

Dear MyPE

A botched construction job has left the Arcadia residents of Humansdorp with no road access. This huge project, costing R53 million, was necessary for a further and ever larger sewer project to enlarge the Kruisfontein Waste Water Treatment Works.

The construction of the western outfall sewer and associated works, costing R8 million, by a contractor named RK Sauer Construction, awarded on 24 June 2014, must be investigated.

It was signed off by a Kouga municipal official and there is apparently no retention on the project to ensure that any teething problems, unfinished work or surprise consequences can be rectified before final payment.

Kouga officials have turned a blind eye, saying they have signed off on the project. This means any chance on rectification locally is at a stalemate.

Large sewer manholes, approximately two meters in diameter, have mushroomed all over the area causing serious problems:

• The large manholes above the valley in Petersen Street have caused a flow of raw sewerage into the stream at the bottom. This needs to be investigated to determine if it is a fault of the new system or if there is still a raw sewerage leak into the stream;
• Raw sewerage spills in Petersen, Julies and Jeggels Streets, running through yards of residents, have not been addressed or resolved by this project;
• A gabion wall has been built on ground level and not on the edge of the hill with the top of the construction at street level at the corner of Petersen and Meyer Streets;
  Some have been constructed quite high above the ground and others level with the street or sidewalk levels;

The fact that some of these large manholes in Meyer Street obstruct road access is a huge problem and some solution will have to be found to secure road access and safety.

Little children are playing in the streets and the raw sewerage spills are a real health threat to them and their families. (Photo)

Options for immediate investigations by the funders of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant projects for Kouga will be followed up through our local Member of Parliament, Elza van Lingen.

Regards

Cllr Desmond Petersen