Your drain is not a waste bin

Drain blockages are one of the top monthly complaints in the Langeberg Municipality. The Civil Engineering Department has dealt with over 5300 sewerage related complaints for April 2022 alone. This, due to foreign objects being dumped into the sewerage system. Drain blockages and spilling leads to human and environmental health risks and it also severely affects service delivery.

Do’s and Don’ts Get rid of your waste properly to avoid blocked toilets, drains, sinks and sewer system pipes:

Do’s and Don’ts Get rid of your waste properly to avoid blocked toilets, drains, sinks and sewer system pipes:

Do’s and Don’ts Get rid of your waste properly to avoid blocked toilets, drains, sinks and sewer system pipes:

Do not flush any food waste down the sink, drain or toilet:

Fruit & vegetable waste and eggshells can be used for composting.
Peels do not decompose quickly and get stuck in pipes
Use a strainer in the sink to catch food or other waste before it goes down the drain and creates blockages.
Keep fats and oils out of our sewers:

Wipe cooking fats, oil or grease off pots and pans, before washing it in the sink
Fill containers with left over oil. Do not pour it down the drain or toilet.
Fatty fluids left in pots or pans after cooking, gets hard when it cools down. It collects and hardens on the inside of the drainpipes, acting like glue to anything that flows past. This causes pipes to block up over time
Do not flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet:

Rags, material, plastic, glass, and other paper objects do not readily break down. Nappies and sanitary products absorb water, expand and cause blockages. Wipes, earbuds, condoms, and hair, although small, clump together with other objects and cause blockages Check that your rainwater gutters do not flow into the sewer system, as it overloads the pipes and causes sewer overflows.

My drain is blocked/overflowing. Who is responsible for repairs?

Residents are mainly responsible for blockages on their properties. The municipality is responsible for the mainline sewerage system and the purification process of all sewage.

How to determine if the blockage is on the municipal or my property side?

About one meter inside the property boundary a sewer manhole must be opened to determine whether the blockage is on the private property’s side of the manhole, in which case the owner must get a commercial plumber to unblock the system. A blockage on the streetside of the manhole is considered the municipality’s responsibility. Alternatively, the issue can be reported to the Municipality, and someone will be sent to determine the origin of the problem. Should the property owner not be at home when the team visits the site, the owner will be called to inform him/her of the outcome.