Sewage flooding Eltham Vista

Several residents in Eltham Vista, St Catherine, say life at home has become unbearable due to the raw sewage that has been overflowing through manholes in the community since December.

They are imploring the authorities to act with urgency to address the matter, as some have had to abandon their homes due to the ails that accompany the overflow.

According to Natalie Williamson of the citizens' association, the situation exacerbates on the weekends when most residents are home, as well as when it rains.

She said she, along with several other residents, has called the National Water Commission (NWC), which is responsible for sewage management, but to no avail.

"We are in distress. The stench actually burns your nose, it's like acid. If you stay too long, it feels like your nose is going to bleed. Then there are the mosquitoes that breed up in the sewage, plus the health implications of breathing this air," she lamented.

"Persons tend to stay at work then come home just to sleep. You don't want to enter this community at nights, but those who have nowhere to go just have to lock up inside with air freshener and Baygon" she added.

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One homeowner, Trevor Brae, said he is worried about his tenants who have stopped using their bathrooms and kitchen.

"The sewage was coming up through the manhole in the yard so it's causing the toilets and kitchen sink to be clogged. They can't use the toilet, they have to do those things at work, and they can't cook," he said.

The residents closest to the drains are most affected by the sewage overflow, but others are on edge, as they say it is only a matter of time before they too are surrounded by filth.

"Our home is our investment, we have to protect it. It's only a matter of time before sewage start come up inna everybody house, so we can't wait until the last minute when the entire place overflow," Alberto Waite reasoned.

Williamson is begging that the matter be addressed before next Friday, as they are slated to have a community fish fry fundraiser on the football field, but the location is currently surrounded by puddles of sewage.

In addition, she is demanding redress from NWC for the periods the community has been under sewage.

Councillor George Moodie told THE STAR that he was only made aware of the matter on Sunday. He said he has reached out to the NWC, which explained that the problem is caused by a defective pump, and promised to address the issue by Tuesday [yesterday].

However, they were yet to arrive up to late yesterday evening.