KNYSNA NEWS - A family in the Concordia area of Knysna has for the past six years and eight months been plagued with the ongoing issue of overflow from the municipal reservoir above their property flooding their home. 

Despite raising the issue with Knysna Municipality on a number of occasions over the years, the matter remains unresolved and the residents still suffer from occasional flooding.

Chantelle Harker and her family reside on a property in Klein Street in Concordia and on top of the hill on which their house stands, lies a water reservoir of potable water that is used by the surrounding communities. 

However, on occasion, this reservoir has overflow that needs to be let out, and the municipality will send out a team to open the overflow outlet.

What the municipality and its staff seem not to realise is that, due to damage sustained to the overflow outlet, the water doesn't drain away as intended. Instead, it flows down the hillside and through the Harker property, causing significant damage to the property.

The water flows underneath and through a wooden house on the property where Chantelle's blind uncle lives. Further down, it flows into their house too, flooding their bedrooms and causing significant water damage to their cupboards and furniture.

Having run down the hill and through the house, the water flows down the entrance to their property and into a storm drain.

This happened for the first time shortly after they occupied the house in late 2016, and at that time more than R50 000 in damage was caused. The family sub-mitted a claim for the damage to Knysna Municipality under Chantelle's mother's name, but nothing was acted upon and in 2021 the municipality cancelled the claim.

"We were simply told that the water damage caused to our property is not the responsibility of the municipality as they are not responsible for RDP houses older than five years," said Chantelle. This, despite the fact that the house was built in 2016 and was gifted to the family because Chantelle's mother used to run a soup kitchen out of the wooden structure where her uncle now lives, according to Chantelle.

While there is no consistent pattern to the overflow, it has happened at least once a year since the first time in late 2016, most recently on Thursday 13 April.

According to Chantelle the family has brought it to the attention of ward councillors past and present, but nothing has been done. Current Ward 7 Councillor Mboneli Khumelwana visited the house on 3 March and assured the family that he would bring the issue to the attention of the Knysna council.

In the month-and-a-half since then, Chantelle says, nothing has been done, and they continue to suffer from tens of thousands of rands' damage each time the overflow outlet is opened.

Knysna Municipality was contacted on multiple occasions for comment on the matter, spanning as far back as 17 March. However, no response had been received by the time of going to print.

The water flows down the hillside, underneath the wooden structure, and into the Harker house.

The water that isn't able to flow down the hill pools at the top, behind the wooden structure, causing significant damage.

The water flows down the hillside, underneath the wooden structure, and into the Harker house.

The bedrooms in the Harker house are flooded when the overflow floods their house.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’