“I have never seem them in Benoni,” said Ward 28 councillor Mary Goby when asked about the effectiveness of the team.
The metro unveiled six single-cab bakkies which were to be used to curb water losses by speedily attending to burst and leaking pipes in the region.
These vehicles were allocated to the five water and sanitation depots that experience the highest number of pipe bursts in their areas – namely: Alberton, Benoni, Germiston, Nigel and Tembisa.
A Northmead resident, who did not want to be named, said she waited five months for the municipality to repair a water leak on the pavement of her Northmead property.
Noleen Bonow reported a leak on the corner of Jupiter and Virgo streets, in Farrarmere, on February 11.
The leak was attended to and repaired, but started leaking again.
Goby said it was still leaking last week – more than three months later.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe said, at the time of the roll-out, that the rapid response teams would ensure complaints are attended to within the standard response time of 48 hours, to reduce water wastage.
“An increase in water loss has been a major challenge within the city for the past few years and this initiative will address this, as well as helping to reduce the risk of damage to private property and infrastructure,” said Gadebe in November.
“As a scarce resource, water is purchased at a price for supply to residents, who pay the municipality based on their consumption.
“The loss of water through leakages or burst pipes, therefore, affects the city’s revenue and increases the demand unnecessarily.”
Gadebe could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
