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Residents who live near Beaconhurst Drive as it runs into Beacon Bay North say years of sewage overflows and foul odours have turned their peaceful neighbourhood into an environmental and health nightmare.
Residents accuse the Buffalo City Metro of failing to maintain sewerage infrastructure and ignoring repeated complaints about sewage dumping and overflowing manholes near their homes.
One resident, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said waste disposal trucks regularly offloaded sewage at the Beaconhurst pump station.
“We pay high municipal rates expecting to live in a clean and healthy environment, but instead we are subjected to sewer odours almost daily,” he said.
“You cannot sit outside or open your windows when the dumping takes place.”
He said residents were worried about the effect on their health and property values.
“People have invested a lot of money into their homes. It is unacceptable that a sewage dumping site is happening less than 30 metres from residential properties,” he said.
Residents claim the activity contravenes environmental legislation, including the National Environmental Management Act, which requires protective measures and buffer zones between waste facilities and homes.
Resident Anita Woods said the problem had persisted for years.
“People are subdividing properties, but the infrastructure isn’t getting expanded. So now we have all these blockages,” she said.
Woods said residents often reported overflowing manholes, but poor co-ordination between municipal departments delayed repairs.
“The problem with BCM is that they come to see where the problem is, but they can’t cut the bush.
“We have had to send our gardeners to cut away bush so workers can reach overflowing manholes,” she said.
It goes down to the Bonza Bay River where kiddies swim
She said the stench had become unbearable.
“If I go into my garden I smell it immediately. We can’t even have guests over if the wind is not blowing right,” Woods said.
She warned that sewage from overflowing manholes eventually flowed into the Bonza Bay River.
“It goes down to the Bonza Bay River where kiddies swim,” she said.
Another resident, Neil Randall, described the odour as “humanly sickening”, especially during hot weather.
“When it’s hot we get a stench like sulphur. It’s very, very bad,” he said.
Randall said the smell severely affected quality of life.
“I can’t go outside … This has been happening for at least three years but it’s getting progressively worse,” Randall said.
Beacon Bay Ratepayers’ Association chair Scott Roebert said the pump station had been problematic for years because of poor maintenance.
“The issue isn’t really about the station being where it is, but rather that it hasn’t been maintained and this results in leaks.
“Raw sewage flowing into the environment creates a very unpleasant situation,” Roebert said.
Nahoon Estuary Nature Reserve chair Christo Theart said sewage spills were affecting rivers across the city because failing pump stations allowed waste to flow into waterways.
“The municipality has known for the last 10 to 15 years that major upgrades are required, but it never gets implemented,” he said.
Ward councillor Frederick Pohl said the matter had been reported to the department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism.
“BCM is in breach of both the National Environmental Management Act as well as the Water Act.
“This has been reported to the department. The municipality does not have the capacity to maintain facilities properly.
“The sewerage systems need upgrading,” Pohl said.
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile, however, defended the municipality’s operations at the site, saying the Beaconhurst pump station was an approved discharge point for sewage from septic and conservancy tanks.
“The pump station was identified by the municipality as a suitable point for the disposal of sewage from septic and conservancy tanks.
“It is considered a convenient station that allows sufficient retention time for mixing before the sewage reaches the wastewater treatment works,” he said.
Fuzile said no activities other than authorised tanker discharges were permitted at the site and maintained that the city complied with environmental legislation and municipal bylaws.
“The pump station sump is properly constructed and, under normal operating conditions, should not pose excessive odour or health risks.
“However, odours may occasionally occur during authorised tanker discharge activities,” he said.
He acknowledged that vandalism at the site had caused operational problems and nuisance conditions for nearby residents.
“The only incidents of overflow have been linked to vandalism of the infrastructure.”
Fuzile said the municipality became aware of residents’ complaints earlier in May and had since engaged affected residents.
He said BCM was investigating alternative discharge points further away from residential areas.
“In mid-2024, a pump station in Quenera was identified as an alternative discharge point for tankers currently using the Beaconhurst Drive station.
“However, the relocation could not be sustained due to repeated vandalism at the Quenera facility,” he said.
“[The department] is once again considering this option and is exploring measures to better secure the site, including the possible deployment of security personnel.”
The department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism failed to respond to questions sent.
Daily Dispatch
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