Skulls, tyres block drains
28 December 2018 | Local News
The City of Windhoek has called upon residents to stop flushing solid objects down the drain and making illegal connections to the city's sewerage system.
The municipality had to unblock
1 600 sewers in November.
“A total of 998 of these blockages occurred in the northern suburbs. Items removed included tyres, car spare parts, cattle skulls, bones, sheets, clothes, sticks and even various metal objects,” the City said in a press release.
“These blockages cause sewage to overflow and this pollutes the area and can lead to the further spread of diseases such as hepatitis E. The public is cautioned to dispose of these items at the designated areas around the city.
“It is critically important to know what can be disposed of in the sewerage system because the City, on a daily basis, has to use its limited resources to clear up these blockages ... caused by objects that should never have entered the sewerage system,” the municipality said.
“We rely on residents of Windhoek to support us.”
More than 4 000 hepatitis E cases have been reported countrywide in the past year. Eighty percent of these could be traced back to Windhoek's Havana and Goreangab informal settlements.
The outbreak is caused by poor hygiene and sanitation, the health ministry has said.
Windhoek residents can report blocked drains by calling 061 290 2402/2162.
ELVIRA HATTINGH
The municipality had to unblock
1 600 sewers in November.
“A total of 998 of these blockages occurred in the northern suburbs. Items removed included tyres, car spare parts, cattle skulls, bones, sheets, clothes, sticks and even various metal objects,” the City said in a press release.
“These blockages cause sewage to overflow and this pollutes the area and can lead to the further spread of diseases such as hepatitis E. The public is cautioned to dispose of these items at the designated areas around the city.
“It is critically important to know what can be disposed of in the sewerage system because the City, on a daily basis, has to use its limited resources to clear up these blockages ... caused by objects that should never have entered the sewerage system,” the municipality said.
“We rely on residents of Windhoek to support us.”
More than 4 000 hepatitis E cases have been reported countrywide in the past year. Eighty percent of these could be traced back to Windhoek's Havana and Goreangab informal settlements.
The outbreak is caused by poor hygiene and sanitation, the health ministry has said.
Windhoek residents can report blocked drains by calling 061 290 2402/2162.
ELVIRA HATTINGH
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