Updated: Dirty water nightmare leaves Molteno residents desperate for help

Residents in Molteno’s Y and R sections say they have lived with a foul smell and wastewater flowing near their homes for years.

Photos supplied to Komani News showed dirty water running along residential pathways, pooling in open areas and flowing around damaged manholes close to houses.

A resident who contacted Komani News said the problem had persisted for almost three years and that the smell had become unbearable for families living nearby.

“We smell it for years. It is passing near our homes in R section,” the resident said.

The resident said community members were worried about living close to the flowing water and feared it could affect their health.

After Komani News sent questions to the Chris Hani District Municipality, the resident confirmed that there was no longer a leak and that the affected area appeared dry.

However, the resident said it was the first time the matter had been fixed, disputing that work had been done there before.

Chris Hani District Municipality said it has Water Service Provision offices in local municipalities to provide and monitor water and sanitation services closer to residents. It said its Molteno office also provides customer-care services.

“The spill has been cleared, and our team is monitoring the network for blockages, which recur due to poor refuse disposal practices in some of our communities,” the municipality said.

The municipality urged residents to report water and sanitation-related problems to its customer-care line on 0800 100 100.