Repairs in Country View drag on
The leak in Country View was classified as ground water, when a metro employee collected some water in a test tube, shook it, looked at it and made a onsite decision, said Country View chairman Ricky Coelho.
According to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM), the leak on the corner of Grey Street and Estate Road was repaired on July 20, but the leak on Meiring Crescent, in Country View, remains a problem.
Coelho said a municipal team last worked in Meiring Crescent during the week of August 21, when they decided it was underground water, which Coelho contested after he tested the water using his own apparatus.
He said the team left the hole open and never returned, except to inspect the area from time to time.
“The water level in this hole rises in the evening and drops during the day, just like municipal water pressure,” said Coelho.
Clr Stefanie Kruger (Ward 24) and Clr Michele Clarke MPL (DA constituency head for Benoni) visited and assessed the area.
“This issue has been reported to the EMM on numerous occasions, however, the municipality responded to the complaints only 17 weeks after the matter was first reported,” said Clarke.
“The municipality informed us that the road damage in the area is due to a ground water leak, which they cannot fix.
“In order to determine whether this is, indeed, ground water leaking under the road, a resident sent water samples for testing.
“The test results revealed that the water contains chlorine, which means that it cannot be ground water.
“The municipality’s failure to deal with this matter timeously is unacceptable and has resulted in further damage to roads in the area.”
Kruger said the team sent by EMM dug a hole, but didn’t locate the leak.
She said even when the leak is fixed, the roads in Country View won’t be repaired soon, as the municipality is suffering a shortage of bitumen.
The EMM was approached for comment, but none had been received at the time of publishing.
