‘Here we are breathing human faeces’

“We don’t know what we are breathing. All we know is that it is suffocating us.”

That’s according to residents of Clayville, northeast of Johannesburg, who say that for more than a decade their lives have been defined by a persistent stench of rotten eggs and sewage that keeps families indoors and fearing for their health.

Residents told the Sunday Times that the smell, which comes and goes, has robbed them of fresh air, open windows and the joy of children playing outside.

This week the Sunday Times visited the area, a seemingly tranquil suburb of Tuscan-style homes, many in gated estates.

Residents say they spend much of their time indoors to escape the smell.

Michael Moeti, who has lived in Clayville since 2007, wears a face mask, not because he is ill but to cope with the odour. “I am always wearing a mask because of the smell. It’s worse on hot days; you just can’t leave the house,” he said.

We don’t know what we are breathing. All we know is that it is suffocating us

—  Clayville residents

Moeti, who is asthmatic, said the air often triggers breathing problems.

“Sometimes it smells like rotten eggs, other times like human faeces. In most cases, we lock ourselves inside the house. Unfortunately, we can’t go anywhere else; we bought these houses.”

Residents also complain about a persistent infestation of flies.

Because Gauteng is in a high-altitude inland region, winds can transport pollution there from a long way away. When the wind blows from the east or southeast, where there are many factories, residents may smell pollutants such as hydrogen sulphide, a gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Hydrogen sulphide can originate from petrochemical plants, open-cast mines, coal-fired power stations, sewage treatment works and natural sources.

Prof Rebecca Garland, from the department of geography, geoinformatics and meteorology at the University of Pretoria, said the smell is usually linked to hydrogen sulphide.

“Most air pollutants don’t have a smell, [so] hydrogen sulphide is the most likely cause. However, more work is needed to identify the actual sources,” she said.

Gauteng has long battled pollution linked to heavy industry, traffic, domestic fuel burning and ageing municipal infrastructure. Large parts of the province fall within the Highveld Priority Area, declared by the government in 2007 because of severe air pollution.

Air quality reports show that Gauteng air often exceeds national limits for fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), particularly during winter when cold air traps pollution close to the ground. These microscopic particles are associated with heart disease, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Garland said that although hydrogen sulphide levels recorded across Gauteng are generally below concentrations linked to severe health problems, the cumulative effect of repeated exposure is a concern.

“Communities are rarely exposed to just one pollutant. Air quality problems usually involve a mixture of emissions from industry, transport, waste and wastewater systems,” she said.

Garland said really serious health problems occur only with much higher concentrations, which are usually accompanied by an intense smell.

“At higher concentrations, hydrogen sulphide can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system,” she said. “It’s estimated that if South Africa had met national fine particulate matter standards, about 14,000 premature deaths could have been avoided in 2012.”

Resident Enoch Senokoane said headaches have become a routine part of life in Clayville.

“We truly don’t know what we are breathing here, and no-one seems to care. We’re used to the smell; it has become part of our lives. Children can no longer play outside, and many have asthma,” he said.

Senokoane added that when the smell intensifies, residents often suffer severe headaches.

Behind the residential area runs a river clogged by thick vegetation, illegal dumping and, residents say, raw sewage. The Sunday Times went to the nearby ERWAT (Ekurhuleni Water Care Company) sewage treatment plant, where the stench is overpowering.

“Here we are breathing human faeces,” said Costa Chauke. “The sewage plant is too small for the growing population. Behind it is an illegal dumping site. The air is not safe.”

Ward 1 councillor Derek Thomson said the rotten egg smell, often associated with emissions from Sasol, has lingered for years, but the sewage odour from the river is a more recent and worsening problem.

“A metre of raw sewage is being deposited directly into that river. Who do we blame? People not applying the law,” he said.

Thomson said directives were issued against the Ekurhuleni metro in 2015 and 2016 to fix sewage failures, yet little has changed.

“Early in the morning the smell is strongest. During the day there’s a constant faecal odour. The metro is trying to rehabilitate parts of the river, but the problem remains.”

Thomson said ERWAT processes about 105Ml of sewage daily but can treat only about 65Ml due to infrastructure constraints, including the presence of dolomite.

“About R200m has been budgeted to fix the plant. The tragedy is that there are dedicated workers, but they don’t have the resources they need. Meanwhile, those suffering most are the poorest residents.”

Ekurhuleni did not respond to queries.