Neighbours help Sophie Sihasa right) clean her muddied home. Photo: Leseho Manala
An Alex family could have been saved from a costly disaster had inconsiderate residents not threatened a Joburg City Water official from channelling water away from her home.
The incident occurred at night on 23 May in Tsutsumani when a burst water pipe metres deep, spewed water into Sophie Sihasa’s home on Lenin Drive until early the next morning. This kept her family and neighbours awake all night, with most of her property irreparably damaged. She is now concerned that the deluge could have caused structural damage to their home.
Sophie Sihasa checks the water damage around her home after a burst water pipe. Photo: Leseho Manala
Sihasa said the problem, which started in the evening on 21 May, was reported immediately and Joburg Water responded by patching the leaking spot and promising to return and check the following day.
“When the water seeped out again hours later, they were notified and did come the following day but still didn’t do a thorough job, resulting in a strong ooze from the same spot which burst into a loud roar later in the evening with the water flooding the yard and our house.”
Joburg Water workers discuss repair work on a burst water pipe in Tsutsumani. Photo: Leseho Manala
She said that’s when an official arrived with a bulldozer to channel the water into a depressed part of the road leading to a river, was chased away by angry residents, leaving the bulldozer behind. The water built up into a metre-high wave which swept through her home, destroying her household assets.
Sihasa bemoaned her neighbours’ actions, “We may have been saved thousands of rands worth of damage and loss including a television, fridges, laptop, clothing, children’s school books including for one preparing for examinations and foodstuff.”
She added that was relieved that a sewage pipe which took in lots of the water through a manhole in the yard, didn’t overflow.
Spoiled school books belonging to Sophie Sehasa’s children. Photo: Leseho Manala
A neighbour, Eunice Nxumalo, whose home was also flooded, said they were still counting their losses, which she estimated will be in the thousands, including possible structural damage. “We had to escape into the house when the water burst but had to escape from inside when the water level rose until it subsided partly into the foundation and outside,” Nxumalo said.
Another resident, Sarah Pooe, said the agency had promised to dispatch water tanks to ease the burden of hundreds of households in large sections of Tsutsumani and Extension 7 after the agency shut down the main supply to replace the burst pipe. A city official supervising the work and who requested anonymity said they would work all night to complete the task and restore the service.
Joburg Water workers repair a burst water pipe that affected homes in Tsutsumani. Photo: Leseho Manala
Residents confirmed in the morning that the water supply had been restored.
Meanwhile, Sihasa’s family was taken in by her extended family pending a determination on compensating those affected.
