790 sewer blockages in Lwandle: A call for responsible waste disposal

The City of Cape Town has called on Lwandle residents to dispose of waste responsibly, after maintenance teams responded to 790 sewer blockages between July 2024 and November 2025.

According to the City's Water and Sanitation Department, 67% of these blockages were caused by inappropriate items being flushed or dumped into the sewer system. Foreign objects accounted for 58% of incidents, while rags made up 9%.

"In Lwandle, the misuse of the sewer system directly impacts the environmental health of the Soet River. When overflows happen, sewage runs into the river and compromises inland water quality. Residents are encouraged to take small, but meaningful steps to turn this around.

"Only using a refuse bin to dispose of litter, sanitary items, nappies, cloths and other solid waste makes a massive difference, as these items are currently the leading cause of sewer blockages in the area," said Zahid Badroodien, the mayoral committee member for water and sanitation.

The City said its Water and Sanitation Community Engagement team visited the Lwandle community during December last year to reinforce the ‘Bin it, Don’t Block it’ message following a sharp increase in sewer blockages and overflow incidents.

The team distributed pamphlets outlining steps that households can take to help prevent blockages and how to request assistance for any water or sanitation-related issues.

"We have several targeted initiatives underway to turn around the condition of the Soet River. But these efforts will only succeed if residents make it a daily habit to dispose of waste correctly and reduce sewer-related incidents," said Mr Badroodien.

What residents can do to help reduce sewer overflows:

• Don't flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Anything else will block the pipes.
• Use the City's solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste, not drains. 
• Report sewer blockages and overflows using one of the City's official channels so they can be cleared in a reasonable timeframe.
• Report vandalism of the sewage system and stolen or missing sewer manhole covers.
• Use the City's drop-off facilities to drop off your recyclables.