Overflowing sewage in Al Manaseer a constant problem, Abu Dhabi residents say

Residents say the flooding has persisted, while the Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company says the problem has been fixed.

ABU DHABI // Sewer water continues to flood the main road in the Al Manaseer area, causing foul odours and attracting bugs, residents say.

The water has been overflowing on and off from a manhole in Avenue 26 for two years, causing green sewage to pool and reach footpath level at times.

Residents in the area said the overflowing sewers caused a stench and an increase in flying insects and cockroaches.

Saif Al Zaabi told Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National, that he had reported the problem four times to the Abu Dhabi Government’s media centre.

Mr Al Zaabi said he was told the issue had been referred to the operations and maintenance department at Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, which hired a contractor to clean and maintain the sewers in Al Manaseer.

But the contractor’s engineer said the problem was the fibre-optic cables owned by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority.

He said the main line was hampering the flow of sewer water as dirt accumulated around the cables.

The authority stationed a worker at the manhole to clean it with a stick whenever it blocked, but the solution was not practical as he could not do anything about the overflowing water, another resident said.

Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company assured Al Ittihad that the issue was resolved on January 28 in cooperation with the contractor and relevant bodies, and in coordination with the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.