Public participation for urgent municipal intervention to address the ongoing sewer crisis in Orkney

We, the undersigned residents of Orkney, call for urgent intervention by the City of Matlosana to address the ongoing sewer crisis and the critical state of the town’s wastewater infrastructure. 

Following a joint oversight inspection conducted by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 23 July 2026, widespread infrastructure failures were identified, including untreated sewage flowing into local stormwater systems and directly into the Vaal River. 

The inspection found six points of origin where sewage was flowing more than 900 to 1,000 metres from manholes into stormwater drains or directly into the Vaal River. Local pump stations and reticulation networks have become inoperable due to long-standing neglect, poor maintenance, and inadequate planning. Broken and overflowing sewer pipelines, as well as long-neglected blocked manholes, are contributing to the ongoing crisis. 

The DA therefore calls for: 

1. Urgent municipal intervention to address the ongoing sewer crisis in Orkney. 

2. The City of Matlosana to prioritise the rehabilitation and upgrading of the sewer infrastructure. 

3. The main infrastructure and pump stations to be repaired, replaced and upgraded. 

4. The municipality to be held accountable for addressing this public health and environmental crisis. 

We believe that these challenges cannot be resolved through isolated repairs and require urgent intervention and investment by the municipality.