Resident calls on city to fix leak and cover hole in Bedfordview
The massive hole, was dug after Patrick Moore reported a water leak outside his property never occurring to him that this would turn into a prolonged saga of municipal negligence.
A concerned resident’s efforts to report a persisting water leak on Selwyn Road in Bedfordview has turned into a nightmare and an eyesore.
An 11m long, six-meter wide and about two-meter deep sinkhole has been left uncovered at Selwyn Road in Bedfordview posing safety risks and potential health hazards.
The hole was dug after Patrick Moore reported a water leak outside his property. He never thought that this would turn into a prolonged saga of municipal negligence.
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He said he first reported the matter in February.
“I reported it about four times. Eventually, towards the end of April, some people came and had a look at it.
“They sort of dug around a bit, and we were told that it had been fixed. It continued to leak even after numerous attempts to fix it,” explained Moore.
This prompted more thorough work to be initiated, including the use of an excavator to investigate the underlying issue.
It was discovered that broken pipes and tree roots had contributed to the leak.
“They discovered that the roots of the tree had infiltrated the sewerage line, causing additional blockages and complications.
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“Despite efforts to clamp the broken pipes, these repairs failed, necessitating the installation of a new blue plastic pipe,” said Moore.
However, after the digging and the replacement of pipes, there has been no follow-up.
He said the exposed site, left in disarray, now poses several risks, including potential health hazards.
“It’s now five weeks since they made this mess, and I have tried to follow up but it seems they want to just leave it as it is. Is this property worth what it was worth with this mess outside?
“This is going to be a health hazard when it’s full of water and mosquitoes are breeding in it when we get rain,” he said.
“I wish I had never reported the leak. Trying to be a good citizen has only led to this disgraceful mess.
“The situation has not only impacted the aesthetic appeal of the area but has also significantly devalued the surrounding properties,” he added.
City of Ekurhuleni had not provided a comment by the time of going to print.
