By Megan O’Connor, with technical input from Patrick Gordon, Splashworks
The Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) recently assisted an elderly member of the public with a blocked drain.
When a member of the public reached out to IOPSA in a plea for help with a blocked drain, IOPSA, Splashworks and Amile Projects stepped in to assist.
The problem
In Farramere Gardens, an elderly lady with multiple health conditions had reached her wits’ end. She had called out a plumber four times to assist with a blocked drain that was overflowing, but the issue still persisted.
She is a tenant of a property in Farramere Gardens, and the homeowner believed that the blocked drain was not their responsibility to fix, leaving the elderly women financially liable to fix the issue.
After the fourth call out to the plumber, and the drain still being left blocked and overflowing, she no longer had the funds to call another plumber in to resolve the issue.
She reached out to IOPSA with a plea for help, asking them to intervene and help mediate a solution between herself and the plumber.
The plumber was not a registered member of IOPSA, so the body could not assist in a mediation. However, IOPSA Gauteng’s National Membership administrator, Celmarie Smit, immediately notified the Gauteng committee about the issue and asked for guidance in how to find a solution for the elderly lady.
The solution
The committee rallied to find a solution, and reached out to the region to ask for help. They found a member, Splashworks, who was willing to donate the materials needed for the project, and approached one of their new members, Amile Projects, for assistance with the labour.
Amile Projects agreed to do the work on a pro bono basis and immediately assigned one of their plumbers to the job.
Arrangements were made to clear the drain the next morning.
The outcome
The drain was successfully cleared, and it was found that the main cause of the problem was that the municipal sewer is defective. She will contact the local municipality to have it repaired.
Thanks to IOPSA, Splashworks and Amile Projects, the elderly lady is now able to enjoy an improvement in her standard of living, enjoying healthier conditions at home.
