Latest news with #sewerage
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Thames Water bills residents for non-existent sewer
A water company has apologised after it tried to charge for sewerage at a group of properties with septic residents in Stoney Heath, near Baughurst, Hampshire, said they had been unable to persuade Thames Water to withdraw the charges for waste water said the firm followed up the mistaken bills with repeated phone calls, which left her neighbours feeling contacted by the BBC, the firm acknowledged the error and said it was "sorry for any confusion". Dr Lorna Mountford, who has filed an official complaint, said at least nine residents were sent bills ranging from about £70 to more than £140 and at least one person had said: "I'm just disappointed, really. There are no sewers and one would expect Thames Water to know where their pipes are."I phoned them up. I asked for it to be escalated. I asked for a call back. I never received the call back."I did get a text asking me to rate their quality of service from zero to 10 and then a few days later I had a text telling me to set up a direct debit."My neighbours have had the same. Some of them have been phoned a number of times. They've said to me they feel harassed by Thames Water." Another resident, Richard Brown, said: "They're totally incompetent, but even worse, it's very difficult to have any dialogue with them."They're not very helpful on the phone. I've sent them an email. I've had no response. "Thames Water, as I see it, are a total mess."In a statement, the firm said: "We are sorry for any confusion caused to residents of Stoney Heath who have been incorrectly billed. "We would like to provide assurance the matter has been reviewed and we are in the process of closing any accounts that were raised in error and we will be contacting impacted customers directly to apologise." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Herald
07-07-2025
- Climate
- The Herald
Metro races to fix sewerage fault that shuts down Kings Beach
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality is racing against time to repair a faulty sewerage pipe that is causing human waste to flow into stormwater drains, ultimately ending up along Kings Beach in Humewood. The beach has been closed by the metro due to the contaminated water to prevent health issues. The fault is on a 600mm sewerage pipe that runs through South End. The sewage spill has carved a 300m channel through the sand, stretching from a grassy patch — now sprouting reeds — to the shoreline, creating a murky path straight to the beach. On Monday, the spill spread across a large section of the beach parking lot, with pieces of toilet paper visible. The sewage spills have affected beach activities. The city had battled to locate the source of the leak since it was reported last week. Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the source of the problem was located at the weekend. 'This task was made difficult by the presence of swampy terrain, overgrown vegetation, and dense trees in the area,' Soyaya said. 'Despite these challenges, progress has been made, and specialised equipment is being deployed to the site to speed up the work. 'The contractor will now begin clearing the dense tree coverage to enable access to the submerged sewer manholes. 'Once these are fully exposed, bypass pumping operations will begin, which will help prevent any further environmental contamination.' Soyaya said while this work was under way, teams continued to douse the affected areas to reduce E. coli levels and neutralise the unpleasant smell. A driving school instructor who operates from the parking lot, and did not want to be named said, the regular flooding affected his operations. 'In my case as a code 10 instructor, I use the lines drawn on the concrete surface where it is currently flooded, which means I have to give the lesson from inside the vehicle because I can't stand here. 'The water makes it difficult for the learner driver to see the lines, and it doesn't help that there's a bad smell, but what can we do,' he said. The PE Hobie Beach parkrun posted on Facebook that it its weekend event was cancelled because of the spill. 'Unfortunately, there is a big sewerage leak on our beach route towards the harbour wall,' the post reads. 'This used to be a trickle in the past, but has turned into a river of about six to eight metres wide. 'This is not safe for any of our participants or volunteers. Unfortunately, there is no way to divert around it at this stage. 'The matter has been reported to the municipality as it is clearly a huge infrastructure failure.' Parkrun Eastern Cape regional ambassador Dale Mortimer said they cancelled the upcoming Saturday event as well because of the leak. 'We took this decision with the anticipation that the issue will not be resolved by then, and we will reassess the situation early next week,' Mortimer said. 'For a while now this used to be a trickle of clean stormwater overflow from what we were told but I can't confirm this, what I can say is that there was no smell. 'But lately it became such a big leak with so much liquid that it put our runners' safety at risk. 'From what we understand, there's a sewage leak that gets mixed with the stormwater which is why there's so much smelly water going out to the beach.' Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said the sewage leak came from Allister Miller Drive, opposite the air wing base. 'That's been running for over a week now, and we've reported it every day and escalated it to the acting city manager [Ted Pillay] on Friday,' Tappan said. 'I got a photograph that there was a honey sucker there, and they were doing something. 'But every single day, on the weekend, including now this morning, that flow is still running into a stormwater drain. 'It's supposed to go out into natural areas where there's excess water and rain, but now raw sewage is mixing with the stormwater and that is why you're getting that terrible smell.' The Herald
ABC News
22-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Kingston South East sewerage project prioritised after health concerns, but costs high
A South Australian council hopes a project worth up to $25 million to connect sewerage to 651 properties will attract more people to live in the area while addressing concerns about water potentially being contaminated with faeces. Kingston South East has been moved to the top of the list for state government funding for an expanded sewerage system after advice from SA Health to the Kingston District Council about risks to public health and the environment from water being contaminated via aging and non-compliant septic systems. Some people use bores near neighbours' septic tanks for water in their houses and gardens that can then get contaminated with faeces, council chief executive Ian Hart said. "The proximity of bores to people's drinking supply and other domestic supply is a real issue in Kingston." If the project goes ahead, property owners where the new Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS) would be connected in the suburbs of Rosetown, Wyomi and Pinks Beach would have to pay a quarter of the cost of the new system, which the council estimates at $1,000 per property per year over 10 years. The other three quarters of the money for the new sewerage system would come from the state government via a grant scheme administered by the Local Government Association of South Australia. People would have to pay extra for their block to be connected to the new system. Resident Mark Lively estimated it could cost $23,000 to $28,000 per property, despite many of them already having functional septic systems. "This CWMS is basically just being done so the council can get 20 or 30 properties added onto their rate base," he said. About 270 of the blocks affected are vacant. People who want to build a house on them now have to install holding tanks for their wastewater. Les Gullickson and his wife, Sharon, are building a house in Kingston that they hope to retire to. They found out about the cost of emptying holding tanks after starting their build. "If they don't go ahead with the full sewerage and stuff like that, I think we'll be moving out of Kingston because we can't afford to [live here]," Mr Gullickson said. "If we have to pump it every two weeks, that's a rough estimate of $600 a month. "Times that by 12 months in a year, that's quite a few dollars more than what a sewerage system would cost to run, and if we had known that we had to do this, I may not have gone ahead with the build." Mr Hart said the estimated costs were only "indicative" until more detailed plans for the system could be drawn up. He said properties connected to the sewerage system would increase in value. "This project will enable them to build with confidence, and that will help Kingston because it means our town will grow and it means there will be more housing available," he said. "We know there is a housing shortage, and it will be good for our community." Consultation sessions on the project will be held this week, with a decision expected in the coming months. Work would start in mid-2026 and finish a year later. The project will not include adding piped drinking water to Rosetown, Wyomi or Pinks Beach. Residential property owners in the Kingston District Council are facing a 9 per cent rate increase this year, with the council also having to deal with multi-million-dollar projects to fix the Kingston jetty and the Maria Creek boat ramp, as well as ongoing costs related to the Cape Jaffa marina.
Arabian Business
18-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai Municipality completes $75m sewerage and rainwater drainage network in Nad Al Sheba
Dubai Municipality has completed a AED277 million ($75.4 million) sewerage and rainwater drainage project in Nad Al Sheba 3, enhancing infrastructure for 300 plots and 340 hectares as part of its future-ready urban strategy. Dubai Municipality has announced the successful completion of a major sewerage and rainwater drainage development in Nad Al Sheba 3, delivered at a total cost of AED277m ($75.4m). The project is part of the authority's strategic infrastructure roadmap to enhance the city's resilience and support its transition into a global benchmark for smart, sustainable urban living. Covering a 340-hectare area and serving around 300 land plots, the new network boosts public health, climate readiness, and urban service efficiency. Dubai drainage and sewers The initiative is a key part of the AED30bn ($8.2bn) 'Tasreef' programme for rainwater drainage and the AED80bn ($21.8bn) sewerage system upgrade project — two of the largest infrastructure strategies in the region. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said: 'This project is part of Dubai Municipality's strategic efforts to develop and deliver world-class infrastructure that keeps pace with Dubai's ambitions for global leadership and urban sustainability. 'Completing the Nad Al Sheba 3 project is a significant step towards connecting all areas of Dubai to a fully integrated sewerage and rainwater drainage network, ensuring the emirate's readiness to face future climate challenges for the next 100 years. 'Dubai Municipality remains committed to expediting the delivery of integrated development works for sewerage and rainwater collection systems, in line with the highest international standards. 'By applying advanced technologies and smart solutions, we aim to increase operational performance, ensure service continuity, and improve quality of life for Dubai's residents — reinforcing the emirate's status among the world's leading cities for advanced infrastructure.' Drainage project scope and features: Sewerage network: A 24km sewerage system with pipeline diameters ranging from 200mm to 800mm has been constructed, alongside 11 kilometres of household connections to link homes and residential units to the main network Rainwater drainage: A high-capacity pumping station with a discharge rate of 4,000 litres per second has been installed to manage stormwater flow efficiently. In addition, a 31km gravity-based pipeline network (250mm–1,500mm diameter) ensures optimal drainage during heavy rainfall and reduces flooding risks. The project underscores the Municipality's ongoing commitment to building advanced infrastructure that keeps pace with the emirate's long-term development vision.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Municipality completes $75.4mln Nad Al Sheba 3 drainage project
Dubai Municipality has announced the completion of a sewerage and rainwater drainage network development project in Nad Al Sheba 3, at a total cost of AED277 million. Serving an area of 340 hectares and encompassing up to 300 plots of land, the project forms part of the Municipality's strategic plans to upgrade and future-proof Dubai's infrastructure, supporting the emirate's vision of becoming a global model for sustainable, smart urban development. Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said, 'This project is part of Dubai Municipality's strategic efforts to develop and deliver world-class infrastructure that keeps pace with Dubai's ambitions for global leadership and urban sustainability. Completing the Nad Al Sheba 3 project is a significant step towards connecting all areas of Dubai to a fully integrated sewerage and rainwater drainage network, ensuring the emirate's readiness to face future climate challenges for the next 100 years. These efforts are part of two of the region's largest strategic infrastructure programmes: the AED30 billion 'Tasreef' project to develop Dubai's rainwater drainage network, and the AED80 billion sewerage system upgrade programme.' He added, 'Dubai Municipality remains committed to expediting the delivery of integrated development works for sewerage and rainwater collection systems, in line with the highest international standards. By applying advanced technologies and smart solutions, we aim to increase operational performance, ensure service continuity, and improve quality of life for Dubai's residents — reinforcing the emirate's status among the world's leading cities for advanced infrastructure.' Under the project, Dubai Municipality has provided Nad Al Sheba 3 with an advanced sewerage network spanning approximately 24 kilometres, with pipeline diameters ranging from 200 to 800 millimetres. This network will enhance public health standards, maintain environmental sustainability, and facilitate more efficient future maintenance works. An additional 11 kilometres of household connections have been constructed to link citizens' homes, new residential units, and other properties directly to the main network. In terms of rainwater drainage, the Municipality has installed an advanced pumping station with a capacity of 4,000 litres per second, improving rainwater management and ensuring efficient water flow towards the main network. This is complemented by a 31-kilometre gravity-based drainage pipeline network, with diameters ranging from 250 to 1,500 millimetres, which will maintain system readiness during periods of heavy rainfall and mitigate potential flooding risks.
